Officials Offer Tips to Conserve Energy in Extreme Heat

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Columbia , S.C. (WOLO) — As sweltering hot temperatures continue to grip the midlands, people are trying to stay cool without sweating the rising cost of their electric bills. “We usually keep our thermostat at a higher degree to keep things a little more moderate when it‘s a 100 degrees outside,” explained resident Jim Huthmaker. With summer temperatures climbing near records, SCE&G spokesperson Ginny Jones said people are using more energy in their homes which can result in higher electric bills. “We do have triple digit temperatures right now which certainly makes people hot, it makes people want to stay inside with the air conditioning,” said Jones. However, Jones said there are ways to stay cool without straining your budget. “If you just take small steps hopefully that’ll add up in the long run,” explained Jones. Jones said it’s important to set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher. “That‘ll be a comfortable temperature that you can help keep yourself cooler by using fans and keeping your blinds down,” said Jones. Jones also recommends bumping up your thermostat a few extra degrees when you leave home, especially for several days. She said it‘s also smart to make sure your windows and doors are properly sealed. “You want to make sure you have proper insolation all around the house and then also that you have caulking down so that you don‘t have air flowing through those gaps,” explained Jones.