Bill’s Bright Ideas June: An Energy Saving Strategy to Keep Summer Cool

Memorial Day weekend kicked off the unofficial start of summer, however, wildly fluctuating weather with temperatures to match are making it tough to make a smooth transition. Many of us still have the air conditioners packed away and are battling the urge to throw the heat back on. Resist-and for the sake of being energy efficient when summer inevitably kicks in, it's time to shift into high gear andget ready before the next heat wave hits.

This spring's chilly, damp, windy weather may have served a useful purpose-reminding homeowners about the effect leaky windows and gaps around doors and floors can have when we do hit the height of air conditioning season. Keeping the house cool can be expensive, and it's not just about keeping the cold air in, it's also important to keep hot air from seeping in through cracks and crevices. That's whyMass Save's no-cost home energy assessmentis so valuable, helping pinpoint problems and providing cost-saving solutions.

We've been talking about the benefits of no-cost home energy assessments for years. We've been toutingMass Save'senergy efficiency programs, rebates and incentives-but have you ever found yourself wondering what Mass Save really is?

Mass Saveis actually a partnership between Eversource and all of the other utility companies in the commonwealth, working closely with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, providing a wide range of energy efficiency programs and services. Massachusetts residents and businesses can access free and low-cost energy-saving services, incentives, trainings, and information promoting energy efficiency to help manage energy use and related costs.

Among other services, Mass Save provides no-cost Home Energy Assessments, a one- to two-hour home visit with a certified energy professional who will install no-cost energy-saving measures such as LED lightbulbs, smart power strips, programmable thermostats, and low-flow showerheads. They will also produce a report describing other Mass Save incentives that might help make your home more energy-efficient. In the meantime, here are some low and no-cost tips to help you stay cool this summer:

Keep your blinds closed when it's hot out.

About 30 percent of unwanted heat comes from your windows. In fact, using curtains, shades and blinds can lower indoor temperatures by up to 20 degrees. This is especially important for your south- and west-facing windows.

Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise.

Your ceiling fan needs to be adjusted seasonally. Setting it counterclockwise in the summer and at a higher speed will move the breeze around creating a wind-chill effect that will make you and your family feel cooler.

Switch from incandescent lights.

Summertime heat and significant savings are good reasons to change over to energy efficient light bulbs. Incandescent bulbs turn almost all of their energy into heat. ENERGY STAR-qualified LEDs not only run cooler but they also use about 25 percent of the energy and last up to 25 times longer than the traditional incandescent bulbs.

Tune-up and clean the AC regularly for best results.

Toget the maximum savingswhen running the AC remember to keep it clean, change or wash the filters and look for the ENERGY STAR rating when you're buying a new one. Also, make sure you're getting theright size unitfor the space you're trying to cool. An oversized or undersized AC unit is less effective and wastes energy.

With an average 15 days of summer being above 90 degrees here in New England it pays to be prepared if, and almost certainly when, the heat begins bearing down.

If you're a member of the media and would like to arrange an interview with Bill, please call Rhiannon D'Angelo (617-424-2116) in Eastern Mass. or Priscilla Ress (413-787-1055) in Western Mass.