summer Archives | Citizens Utility Board

Beat the Heat with Summer Safety Tips

Elizabeth — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 21:13:24 +0000

The best energy efficiency is energy efficiency practiced safely. Temperature Safety: Don’t keep your home too hot or too cold to save money– never set the thermostat at a temperature that threatens your health. Efficiency is all about safety and comfort. Set your thermostat from 76 to 78 degrees for a safe and efficient temperature. Turn the AC off when you leave home unless you have pets or people in your care who need to stay cool. If you don’t have a cool place to stay, visit a cooling center or public space for a break. Special centers are available in state facilities across Illinois to help consumers stay safe in the summer or winter. Find warming and cooling centers near you. Many of those are open during business hours and Tollway Oasis locations are open 24 hours a day. Also, don’t be afraid to ask a family member or friend if you need refuge from the heat or cold. Stay Cool Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Sip about four to eight glasses of fluids a day. Avoid too much alcohol or caffeine, which promotes dehydration. Add a fan to your summer defenses. Set your thermostat at a smart temperature, and then use a fan to help circulate the cool air. Run it counter-clockwise, from your position looking up at it. Remember fans cool people not rooms, so turn them off when no one’s around. Need a bit more help to stay cool? Use a spray bottle filled with cool water to apply a refreshing mist on your face. Soak your feet in cool water. Place ice cubes, wrapped in a wet fabric, on your “pulse points,” where the blood vessels are close to the skin: wrists, neck, the insides of your elbows, the tops of your feet and the inside of the ankles. Take a cold shower or bath as well. Close your curtains or blinds to keep the heat of the sun out. Try to keep the rooms you use most (i.e. the TV room) the coolest. Symptoms of Heat Stroke: Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temps and not enough hydration. Heatstroke is more serious and occurs when the body starts to lose its ability to regulate itself. The signs of a heat stroke are: An extremely high body temperature, such as 103 degrees or above Dizziness and nausea Throbbing headache Rapid and strong pulse If you notice these symptoms in another person, the Mayo Clinic says to call 911 or your local emergency number and then move the person out of the heat and try to cool them immediately (sponge the person with cool water; fan the person and spray them with a cool mist; cold shower, etc.). Outlet Safety: If an appliance frequently trips your electric circuit breaker, disconnect it immediately and have the outlet evaluated by a qualified electrician. Older wiring in buildings may not be able to handle the electrical demand of modern appliances and may cause electrical fires if not maintained. Extension Cords: Keep portable appliances on extension […]

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Summer tips on staying cool and safe, without breaking the bank

Jim Chilsen — Sat, 05 Jun 2021 13:19:11 +0000

Summer weather is upon us. Heating and cooling costs account for 50 percent of a home’s energy bills, according to the Department of Energy. Stay safe, cool and energy efficient. Be safe. Raising your thermostat by a few degrees and using a ceiling fan can lower air conditioning costs over the summer. Just be smart about it—don’t raise the temperature to an unsafe level. Many utilities (ComEd, Ameren and MidAmerican) recommend setting it at about 76-78 degrees when you’re at home. Read our recent blog on setting the thermostat, and check out this Energy Star guide. Schedule HVAC maintenance. Regularly schedule an appointment with an expert to check your equipment’s performance. An HVAC technician can tell if it’s time to replace your old cooling unit with a new energy-efficient model. (Newer ENERGY STAR units will result in at least a 15 percent gain in efficiency. There are more great tips on this page of the Energy Star website.) Give your AC a break. Prevent hot air from seeping in by sealing the gaps around windows and doors. Shut blinds or shades during the daytime hours to prevent the sun from cooking your home and your air conditioner from working harder to cool it. At cooler times of the day (night and morning) or on milder, less humid days, open up windows and use screens to let the refreshing air come in. Clean filters. Clean your air conditioning unit’s filter at least once every three months. It’s an easy way to improve the unit’s performance and to save energy. For more tips on maintaining your air conditioner, check out this Energy Department page. Use fans. Fans alone aren’t adequate in a heat wave, but they can be used with an air conditioner—so you don’t have to blast the AC. Run a ceiling fan counter-clockwise, from your position looking up at it, to create a downdraft, and make sure to turn off your fan when you leave the room. (Fans cool people, not rooms.) Avoid hot tasks. Delay heat-producing tasks, such as dishwashing, baking, or laundry, until the cooler night or early morning hours. Consider grilling out to keep the kitchen from overheating and your AC from over-working. If grilling isn’t for you, make meals in the microwave. Shut it off. Turn off and unplug extra appliances that produce more heat and make your home hotter (TV, computers, laptops, lights), and make sure to unplug your phone charger. Open windows. If it gets cool in the evening hours, consider opening windows and using screens to let the breeze in. Seal up the house again in the morning. Drink plenty of water. Sip about four to eight glasses of fluids a day, but avoid too much alcohol or caffeine, which promotes dehydration. Take the edge off. During intense heat, make sure to find an air-conditioned space, and take simple actions to get through your hottest moments. For temporary relief, use a spray bottle filled with cool water to apply a refreshing mist on your face. Soak your feet in cool water. Place ice cubes, wrapped in a wet fabric, on your “pulse points,” where the blood vessels are close to the skin: wrists, neck, […]

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Save on your summer bills with these thermostat tips

Hannah — Thu, 27 May 2021 15:29:34 +0000

The return of summer heat prompts most homeowners to turn down their thermostat. But before you crank the AC, learning to set your thermostat effectively can be a game changer for you and your utility bills. In the summer, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 78°F when you’re at home. At night or when you’re away, bump it up a few degrees. Turning up your thermostat by 7° to 10°F from its normal setting for 8 hours a day can save you about 10 percent a year on heating and cooling, according to the Energy Department. It’s certainly tempting on a hot day, but setting your thermostat to a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner will not cool your home faster. In fact, the excessive cooling could result in a bigger bill. Instead, you can manage your home’s temperature more effectively with a programmable or smart thermostat. With the ability to schedule temperature adjustments, you can avoid the discomfort of returning to a warm home and having to wait for the AC to kick in. Schedule your thermostat to return to a more comfortable temperature just before you wake up or return home. You can learn more about smart thermostats by reading CUB’s fact sheet. ComEd and Ameren customers can enjoy a rebate of $100 on a smart thermostat. Also, consider these tips for staying cool in the summer: Use ceiling fans. In the summer, run the fan counterclockwise. Make sure to turn the fan off when you leave the room. Swap your long pants and shirt for short sleeves and shorts. Drink a cool beverage. In fact, try to drink about four to eight glasses of fluids a day. Remember, drinking too much alcohol promotes dehydration. Avoid heat-producing tasks — baking or laundry, for example — until the night or early morning, when it’s cooler. Making meals in the microwave or grilling out prevents the kitchen and the rest of your house from heating up. Turn off and unplug appliances that can heat up your home (TV, computers, laptops, lights). For more tips, read our WatchBlog and order free copies of CUB’s newly updated Guide to Home Savings and Guide to Going Green.

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Eco-friendly green gadgets for summer

Jennifer — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 21:24:42 +0000

As we ease into summer, the warm months ahead are a great opportunity to incorporate some “cool” eco-friendly items into your routine. Here are some green gadgets that will sustain you–and the environment–all summer. Smartphone sprinkler systems The Green IQ Smart Sprinkler allows you to control how your lawn is watered, right from your phone. The EPA says average lawns across the country need just an inch of water a week. But here’s a way to prevent water waste that’s bad for the planet and your pocketbook. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WXPh8LOQLU] Bottle cutters All those summer parties can lead to a pile up of empty beverage bottles. The Kinkajou Bottle Cutter allows you to turn an empty bottle of your choice into a brand new reusuable glass. Cutting down on glass waste helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions and lowers the demand for energy needed to produce these bottles. Not only do you cut down on waste, you’ll have a new glass with cool designs from your favorite bottles! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4WmM-nsUu8] Portable solar charging panels If you’re spending a lot of time outdoors this season, it can be a constant struggle to find an outlet to charge your devices. These portable solar charging panels absorb sunlight, and you can easily connect your device’s USB to charge from anywhere there’s sunlight. The millions of charging outlets worldwide add up to large amounts of CO2 emissions overtime. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv2Zdm7D0dg] You don’t have to spend money on gadgets to be green this season. On cooler nights, crack a window or two for some free A/C. If you have some empty barrels, catch the rainwater from summer storms and reuse it to water your lawns and plants. Save on your electric bills by turning off the lights and taking advantage of longer sunlight hours. For more ways to be eco-friendly (and wallet-friendly), be sure to check out CUB’s page on energy efficiency.

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10 ways to get your home ready for summer

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 11:31:11 +0000

After the recent blast of wintry weather, it’s hard to believe summer is on the way, but it will be here before you know it. Now’s the time to get ready. 1) Schedule HVAC maintenance. Before the hot weather hits, schedule an appointment with an expert to check your equipment’s performance. An HVAC technician can tell if it’s time to replace your old cooling unit with a new energy-efficient model. (Newer ENERGY STAR units will result in at least a 15 percent gain in efficiency. There are more great tips on this page of the Energy Star website.) 2) Clean filters. Whether your air conditioner is old or new, clean your unit’s filter. Do it before turning it on and then periodically after that. It’s an easy way to improve the unit’s performance and to save energy. 3) Make sure your AC is sized properly for the space to be cooled. Contrary to popular belief, a larger unit will not cool a room better. A properly-sized unit will be more efficient, and it will keep the space at a constant temperature and a comfortable humidity level. If you need help sizing, use this handy chart as a guide. 4) Replace the old thermostat. If you want more control of your energy bills this summer, replace your old thermostat with a programmable one. Even better, get a smart thermostat, which can cut your heating and cooling costs by up to 20 percent. 5) Inspect your screens. An evening breeze can help cool off your home after a hot summer day. Check your window and door screens to make sure they’re not dirty and/or in need of repair. Also, tighten and lubricate hinges and closers. 6) Consider a ceiling fan. You can lower your air conditioning costs by up to 14 percent by raising the thermostat just two degrees and using a ceiling fan. Fans consume much less electricity than a traditional cooling unit. (Just make sure to set it so it runs counter-clockwise in the summer, from your position looking up at it, to create a gentle downdraft. And turn it off when you leave a room: Fans cool people, not rooms.) 7) Locate and seal air leaks. This summer, keep your air conditioner—and you—from working overtime by checking your windows, doors and floors for hidden gaps and cracks. They can bring in as much steamy air as an open window, making your cooling system work harder than it should. Ensure cool air can’t escape by sealing leaks with a caulking gun or weather-stripping tool. 8) Check insulation. Beating the summer heat—and high energy bills—will prove difficult if your home lacks the recommended amount of insulation. Look across your attic floor: If the insulation is even with or below the attic floor joists, it’s time to add more. 9) Give your refrigerator a checkup. Make sure your fridge is prepared to supply you with cold drinks during the inevitable heat wave. Clean the coils on the back of the fridge and make sure the door seals are airtight. (Close the door on a piece of paper. You should feel tension when you pull it out.) 10) Dust off the grill. Die-hard grilling enthusiasts are tempted to cook outdoors in the middle of a blizzard, […]

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How to make your home bearable in a heat wave

Matt — Wed, 24 May 2017 14:44:02 +0000

With potentially dangerous heat on the horizon as the summer months come into focus, CUB has tips on how residents can keep their homes cool, safe and energy efficient. Remember these to stay comfortable during the dog days of summer: –Raising your thermostat by only two degrees and using a ceiling fan can lower air conditioning costs by up to 14 percent over the summer. But be smart about it—don’t raise the temperature to an unsafe level. Many utilities recommend setting your thermostat between 74-78 degrees when you’re at home. –Fans alone aren’t adequate in a heat wave, but they can be used with an air conditioner—so you don’t have to blast the AC. Run a ceiling fan counter-clockwise, from your position looking up at it, to create a downdraft, and make sure to turn off your fan when you leave the room. Remember, fans cool people, not rooms. (Note: Your fan should have a black switch that changes its direction). –Delay heat-producing tasks, such as dishwashing, baking, or laundry, until the cooler night or early morning hours. Consider grilling out to keep the kitchen from overheating and your AC from over-working. Microwaving meals also saves you from a hot kitchen. –Turn off and unplug extra appliances that produce extra heat and make your home hotter (TVs, computers, laptops, and gadgets like your phone charger). –Keep hot air out by sealing gaps around windows and doors. –Keep the blinds/curtains closed during the day to prevent the sun from roasting your home. In the cooler evenings, turn off the AC and open windows on opposite sides of the house to create a cross breeze. Put a box fan in an open window, blowing outside to push out the hot air from your home. -Consider cleaning your AC unit’s filter once a month, but at the very least once every three months. It’s an easy way to improve the unit’s performance and save energy. -If your AC is running, make sure to close doors to rooms you don’t use often. The smaller the space that needs cooling, the less work it takes for your system to cool it. –Drink plenty of water. A person should drink 6-8 cups of water a day—based on age, body weight, physical activity, etc. Hydrated individuals are much better equipped to deal with warm temperatures. -If you don’t have AC, go somewhere that has air conditioning during the hottest hours of the afternoon. Movie theaters, shopping malls, public libraries, and the homes of friends and family can all be cool places of refuge. Make sure your neighbors are safe too! Illinois offers free cooling centers. For more information call the Illinois Department of Human Services hotline at 1-800-843-6154 during normal business hours. –Use a spray bottle filled with cold water to take the edge off a hot afternoon. Soak your feet in cool water. Place ice cubes, wrapped in a wet fabric, on your “pulse points,” where the blood vessels are close to the skin: wrists, neck, the insides of your elbows, your inner thighs and knees, the tops of your feet and the inside of the ankles. –Sign up for […]

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My summer EE checklist (grandpa would be proud)

Matt — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 01:10:15 +0000

By Scott Allen, CUB Environmental Outreach Coordinator (Hillsboro) As the weather turns warm, it’s time to get your home ready for summer. And that reminds me of the jobs I used to do for my grandpa, when I was a kid in Griggsville, Illinois, population 1,200. Over time, Grandpa Jerry, a carpenter who served as mayor for eight years, had helped just about every family in town, and eventually he recruited me to assist. That’s how I found myself removing storm windows, fixing screen doors and cleaning air conditioners for people in town who couldn’t do it themselves. Grandpa Jerry would tell you he put me through this summer ritual because he believed school breaks made kids lazy, and, apparently, working for free built character. But he also knew that such seasonal improvements made a home more efficient, and that lowered air conditioning bills. So in honor of grandpa, who passed away in 2010, I give you this checklist to prepare your home for the dog days ahead. Give your air conditioner a checkup. Once a year, get your air conditioner inspected by a professional heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) specialist. Making sure your AC system is properly maintained can help you save hundreds a year. If you take the small financial hit to pay for yearly maintenance, you’ll avoid having to replace the whole system if it breaks. Nicor Home Solutions, an unregulated sister company of Nicor Gas, has maintenance plans that range in price from $8.95 to $15.95 a month. But be warned—these might be more costly than they’re worth and there may be cheaper options. Your AC might come with a warranty that includes maintenance. You can also see if your local heating and cooling professionals offer maintenance plans, which can be cheaper than those offered by Nicor Home Solutions. Also, remember you don’t need a contractor to clean your air conditioning unit’s filter. It’s an easy way to improve performance and save energy. Fix winter damage. The winter season can create a number of problems for efficiency. Check to make sure your windows and doors haven’t been damaged so that when you use your AC in the summer, the cool air stays in your house. Locate & seal air leaks: Keep hot air out and cool air in by sealing leaks with caulk or weather-stripping. If needed, add foam-insulating sheets behind outlets and switch plates, and between walls. Don’t forget to also check the insulation of unconditioned spaces like attics. Remember, many Illinois utilities offer rebates for sealing and insulation. Just ask. Take out storm windows and doors. Remove your storm windows and replace your glass front doors with screen doors so you can allow natural breezes to circulate in your home on milder days. Think about investing in fans. By investing in and strategically using floor and ceiling fans, along with other sources of ventilation, you can get away with setting your thermostat one to two degrees higher and save money on your power bills. (Each degree you knock off can reduce your power bill by about 3 percent.) Change your ceiling fan direction. In winter months, your ceiling fan should […]

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Give yourself (and your power bill) a relaxing Fourth of July

Jim Chilsen — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 19:51:39 +0000

By Sagar Dommaraju What better holiday than Independence Day to free yourself from high electricity costs. Follow these tips for the perfect Fourth of July weekend. First, take a holiday from the daily bustle and leave your electronics—computers, TVs, phones, printers—alone for the weekend. Make sure to unplug them completely (or use a smart power strip). Running the air conditioner accounts for more than half the summertime energy usage in an average American household. This weekend turn the AC off (cooling an empty home is a big NO), and head out to the backyard for a barbeque, check out a local parade, or escape the heat by taking your kids for a splash at the local pool. If you have to stay indoors, ceiling fans are a great supplement to traditional cooling systems. You can cut costs by 14 percent when you raise your thermostat by two degrees and use a ceiling fan. Just make sure it’s creating a gentle downdraft—running counter-clockwise from your position looking up. Give yourself a holiday gift: Invest in a thermostat that lets you tailor a heating/cooling schedule that matches your needs. Programmable thermostats can save you $180 per year with proper use. (Bargain Alert: Right now, Northern Illinois consumers can enjoy $150 in rebates for smart thermostat.) If you are having a backyard party, here’s a tip: In the evening, illuminate the festivities with pretty and efficient LED party lights. If you stay indoors, just turn the lights off and enjoy a night of fireworks out the window. Some of the best summer party foods don’t require heating or much preparation! Sandwiches, watermelon, pasta salad—the possibilities are endless. (Here’s a fan favorite: A red, white, and blue parfait with strawberries, yogurt, and blueberries!) Independence Day, of course, gives you a perfect excuse (as if you needed one) to fire up the grill and avoid the in-home oven—which releases extra heat and puts more strain on your air conditioner. (I’m sure you have a favorite BBQ recipe. Here’s mine: Grilled tandoori chicken recipe.) Your AC works hard in the summer. It’s only right that you let it take a break this holiday, too!

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Lessons from my summers in India: Staying cool without breaking the bank

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 21:01:35 +0000

By: Sagar Dommaraju Illinois summers are hot—but they’re nothing compared to the ones I experience when I visit relatives in southern India. Temperatures there easily top 100 degrees, cooling rains rarely fall, and—if you live in a rural village—air conditioning is unavailable at certain peak electricity times. But those stifling summers have taught me different ways to stay cool, and the following tips are just as useful at reducing air conditioning costs in Illinois. First, eliminate unnecessary sources of heat. Delay heat-producing tasks, such as dishwashing, baking, or laundry until the evening or early morning hours. (My aunt in India would gt up at sunrise to make dishes for breakfast and lunch, and then wouldn’t touch the stove again until sundown.) Make sure that the windows and doors are closed and sealed in the house during the midday, so hot air can’t seep in. If temperatures lower during the evening, turn off your AC and open windows on opposite sides to let a nice breeze cool your home. Shut blinds during daytime hours. Unrelenting sunlight is to blame for unbearably hot homes in India. Do not place lamps, TVs, or other hot electronics close to a thermostat; they can trick your unit into thinking the room is warmer than it actually is. Use a bath fan to remove heat and moisture from the bathroom and use an exhaust fan to remove heat while you cook. Second, don’t overwork your AC. Fans are a great supplement—but not a replacement—for air conditioning. If you raise your thermostat by only 2 degrees and use a ceiling fan, you can cut costs by 14 percent. Ceiling fans should rotate counter-clockwise (from your position looking up at it) to create a down-draft. Cool off even more by spraying yourself with water—something I did all the time in India. Clean your unit’s filters at least once every three months. Proper maintenance can improve its performance and save energy in the long run. Third, pay attention to how you feel. Do not raise your thermostat too high just to cut costs. Utilities often recommend setting it between 74-78 degrees when you’re at home during the summer. Excessive temperatures in homes can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion, fainting, and even heat stroke in extreme cases. Drink plenty of water. A person should drink 6-8 cups of water a day—based on age, body weight, physical activity, etc. Hydrated individuals are much better equipped to deal with warm temperatures. Go somewhere that has air-conditioning during the hottest hours of the afternoon. Movie theaters, shopping malls, public libraries, and the homes of friends and family can all be cool places of refuge. Let us know your tips for staying cool without breaking the bank. Also, check out summer efficiency programs by visiting CUB’s energy efficiency page. Sagar Dommaraju, a summer intern for CUB’s Communications Department, graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago this spring with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He wishes to enter medical school to pursue his dream of becoming a physician. Meanwhile, he is excited to work with CUB and fight on behalf of Illinois […]

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Lower summer power prices!

Jim Chilsen — Mon, 23 May 2016 20:42:04 +0000

BREAKING NEWS—Electricity prices for ComEd and Ameren are dropping on June 1! Read CUB’s fact sheets to see the new prices for Ameren and ComEd. Are you with an alternative supplier? Use CUB’s fact sheets to compare and check if you’re on a bad deal. Of course with good news there’s always bad news: We’re fighting up to $6 billion in higher rates that could erase the good memory of those lower summer prices. Join the battle!

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