cooling it Sonoran Desert summer
July 08, 2004
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First electric bill of the summer got you down?
Cooling costs make up the largest portion of electricity bills in the summer when the average residential bill more than doubles as people crank up the AC to stay comfortable.
Last year the average electric bill in February was $49.96 and jumped to $123.32 in July, according to Tucson Electric Power Co.
More money-saving tips
Want to lower bills for the rest of the long, hot Sonoran Desert summer?
TEP suggests the following to help keep you cool and keep cash in your wallet:
Use ceiling fans to keep air circulating, making it feel cooler and lowering air conditioner use.
Dry laundry loads right after each other so the dryer doesn't have to reheat for each load. Clean the lint tray after each load.
Set the thermostat at 78 and leave it there. If you must change it, move it up or down only three degrees.
Caulk window and door frames and around plumbing openings to keep the cool air inside.
Shade west-facing windows and walls with awnings or shade trees to reduce afternoon temperatures in the house. Window curtains or blinds will keep heat and sunlight out.
Keep vents or ducts clear to let your cooling system work more efficiently.
Some cooling costs in the summer can't be avoided.
David Kettlekamp lives with his grandmother and takes care of her. Cooling costs in their house are going to rise dramatically this summer.
"I came home Sunday to a 90-degree house," he said. A couple of visits from the repairman confirmed the nearly 15-year-old air conditioning unit would have to be replaced, a job that could cost as much as $8,000.
Chuck Cozzens, an air conditioning service technician for American Home Maintenance Inc., walked Kettlekamp through the process and showed him his options.
Cozzens said homeowners can expect to see their cooling costs drop 20 percent to 40 percent if they replace their old units with new ones.
"New units are so much more efficient these days and so much more quiet," Cozzens said.
John Corrigan, an estimator with Rite Way Ventilating Co., said consumers should think of their new air conditioning units as investments that can pay for themselves over time.
"Even though it's a large investment upfront, look at the money you're not giving to TEP," he said.
He said new, high-efficiency units with variable air flow blowers can be as much as two to three times more efficient as older units, cutting electricity use by half or two thirds.
Cozzens stressed the need for annual maintenance on air conditioners and heaters to keep them healthy and efficient.
"What people don't understand about their air conditioners is that, much like cars, they need to be maintained. There can be little things that go wrong that, if you catch it, can make the difference between a $70 repair versus a $400 repair," he said.
Tiffany Orr, service coordinator at Perry Heating and Cooling, said homeowners frequently neglect to do the easiest thing to keep their AC unit cooling properly and their electric bills down.
"It's always good to keep your filters changed. They should change them at least once a month, and in some extreme cases more often than that. That's a big thing that makes your unit run efficiently," she said.
Erik Van Keuren said his electricity bill doubles every summer when he turns on his evaporative cooler, even though it's only a few years old. He expects his bills to go down when he applies new white roof coating this week.
"I know that's going to make a big difference even though it's nearly $300 for the materials alone," he said.
But even though he's put up weather stripping and does regular maintenance on the cooler, he knows the price of comfort in Tucson is high.
If you do need your air conditioner or evaporative cooler on nonstop, don't worry. TEP is prepared to handle the peak summer usage through its own power generation and long-term contracts with other electricity generators, spokesman Joe Salkowski said.
Salkowski said peak retail demand for electricity is estimated at 2,083 megawatts this summer, up from 2,060 last year and 1,899 in 2002.
"Tucson's growing, and as the community expands the need for electricity grows as well," he said. TEP estimates demand for electricity will grow 2 percent to 3 percent annually through at least 2007.
Although TEP has plenty of power to keep the lights on, problems are always possible.
Last week's outage that hit about 35,000 customers was not related to power supply, Salkowski said.
According to The Associated Press: An insulator on a transmission line failed near Phoenix. The failure should have tripped breakers designed to isolate the problem and protect the rest of the Western power grid. But the breakers also failed, causing Palo Verde and a nearby gas-fired plant to shut down. Then one of Palo Verde's backup diesel generators also failed to fire.
The Phoenix-area shutdowns triggered a service interruption to Tucson customers to balance the power system and prevent a collapse of the power supply here.
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First electric bill of the summer got you down?
Cooling costs make up the largest portion of electricity bills in the summer when the average residential bill more than doubles as people crank up the AC to stay comfortable.
Last year the average electric bill in February was $49.96 and jumped to $123.32 in July, according to Tucson Electric Power Co.
More money-saving tips
Want to lower bills for the rest of the long, hot Sonoran Desert summer?
TEP suggests the following to help keep you cool and keep cash in your wallet:
Use ceiling fans to keep air circulating, making it feel cooler and lowering air conditioner use.
Dry laundry loads right after each other so the dryer doesn't have to reheat for each load. Clean the lint tray after each load.
Set the thermostat at 78 and leave it there. If you must change it, move it up or down only three degrees.
Caulk window and door frames and around plumbing openings to keep the cool air inside.
Shade west-facing windows and walls with awnings or shade trees to reduce afternoon temperatures in the house. Window curtains or blinds will keep heat and sunlight out.
Keep vents or ducts clear to let your cooling system work more efficiently.
Some cooling costs in the summer can't be avoided.
David Kettlekamp lives with his grandmother and takes care of her. Cooling costs in their house are going to rise dramatically this summer.
"I came home Sunday to a 90-degree house," he said. A couple of visits from the repairman confirmed the nearly 15-year-old air conditioning unit would have to be replaced, a job that could cost as much as $8,000.
Chuck Cozzens, an air conditioning service technician for American Home Maintenance Inc., walked Kettlekamp through the process and showed him his options.
Cozzens said homeowners can expect to see their cooling costs drop 20 percent to 40 percent if they replace their old units with new ones.
"New units are so much more efficient these days and so much more quiet," Cozzens said.
John Corrigan, an estimator with Rite Way Ventilating Co., said consumers should think of their new air conditioning units as investments that can pay for themselves over time.
"Even though it's a large investment upfront, look at the money you're not giving to TEP," he said.
He said new, high-efficiency units with variable air flow blowers can be as much as two to three times more efficient as older units, cutting electricity use by half or two thirds.
Cozzens stressed the need for annual maintenance on air conditioners and heaters to keep them healthy and efficient.
"What people don't understand about their air conditioners is that, much like cars, they need to be maintained. There can be little things that go wrong that, if you catch it, can make the difference between a $70 repair versus a $400 repair," he said.
Tiffany Orr, service coordinator at Perry Heating and Cooling, said homeowners frequently neglect to do the easiest thing to keep their AC unit cooling properly and their electric bills down.
"It's always good to keep your filters changed. They should change them at least once a month, and in some extreme cases more often than that. That's a big thing that makes your unit run efficiently," she said.
Erik Van Keuren said his electricity bill doubles every summer when he turns on his evaporative cooler, even though it's only a few years old. He expects his bills to go down when he applies new white roof coating this week.
"I know that's going to make a big difference even though it's nearly $300 for the materials alone," he said.
But even though he's put up weather stripping and does regular maintenance on the cooler, he knows the price of comfort in Tucson is high.
If you do need your air conditioner or evaporative cooler on nonstop, don't worry. TEP is prepared to handle the peak summer usage through its own power generation and long-term contracts with other electricity generators, spokesman Joe Salkowski said.
Salkowski said peak retail demand for electricity is estimated at 2,083 megawatts this summer, up from 2,060 last year and 1,899 in 2002.
"Tucson's growing, and as the community expands the need for electricity grows as well," he said. TEP estimates demand for electricity will grow 2 percent to 3 percent annually through at least 2007.
Although TEP has plenty of power to keep the lights on, problems are always possible.
Last week's outage that hit about 35,000 customers was not related to power supply, Salkowski said.
According to The Associated Press: An insulator on a transmission line failed near Phoenix. The failure should have tripped breakers designed to isolate the problem and protect the rest of the Western power grid. But the breakers also failed, causing Palo Verde and a nearby gas-fired plant to shut down. Then one of Palo Verde's backup diesel generators also failed to fire.
The Phoenix-area shutdowns triggered a service interruption to Tucson customers to balance the power system and prevent a collapse of the power supply here.
Get your cellular shade
Blind Search Engine
Buy 1 Rug, get 3 Free!
double cellular shades comfortex cellular shades aveno everest cellular shades discount cellular shades cleaning cellular shades day and night cellular shades graber cellular shades levelor cellular shades levolor cellular shades cellular shades discounted levlor cellular and shades and green and pattern painting cellular shades cellular shades cellular window shades bali cellular shades double cellular shades American Brand HunterDouglas Hunter Douglas Levolor Bali Graber M&B Kirsch Comfortex Prestige Value Window Fashions Aveno M & B American Brand HunterDouglas Levolor Bali Graber M&B American Brand HunterDouglas Levolor Bali Graber M&B Kirsch Comfortex Prestige Value Window Fashions Aveno Hunter Douglas Duette Crystal Pleat Louver Drape Kirsch Comfortex Prestige Value Window Fashions Aveno Hunter Douglas Duette Crystal Pleat Louver Drape Cleaning cellular shades cleaning cellular shades levolor cellular shades levelor cellular shades day and night cellular shades graber cellular shades double cellular shades painting cellular shades cellular and shades and green and pattern cellular shades discounted levlor cellular shades cellular window shades discount cellular shades bali cellular shades comfortex cellular shades aveno everest cellular shades
