(KANSAS CITY - May 5, 2010) – In June 2009, Kansas City Power and Light received approval for a combined $154 million rate increase in Missouri and Kansas. Average residential customers in Missouri and Kansas saw a $12.82 and $10.36 increase in their monthly electricity bills, respectively. (Source - www.epsa.org  Electric Power Supply Association.)  
 
It’s almost air conditioner season again there are some simple ways homeowners can control their utility bills:
 
Temperature Control – maintain 78° Fahrenheit.  For every degree lower, the energy cost rises by 6 percent. (Source – U.S. Department of Energy website www.energysavers.gov) A programmable thermostat can control temperature with little effort by allowing energy use reduction when the home is unoccupied or occupants are asleep. When the inside temperature is made closer to the outdoor temperature, energy is saved. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star website, homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats and maintaining those settings.
 
Turn The Fan Switch to ON at the Thermostat – by circulating air in the home, homeowners will feel cooler, so the temperature does not need to be set as low. Also, circulating the air makes the temperature more even in the home from room to room and from floor to floor. The air conditioner will cycle on and off to satisfy the thermostat independently of the fan being on.
 
Air Conditioner Tune-Up – many homeowners underestimate the importance of annual maintenance for their air conditioner.  In addition to safety reasons, a tune-up will ensure that the system is running at peak efficiency, thus saving money all summer long.  Airflow problems alone can reduce an air conditioner’s efficiency by up to 15 percent (Source – www.energystar.gov).  Homeowners should clean or replace their one inch air filters monthly as dirty air filters can greatly reduce air flow, causing the air conditioner to operate longer to satisfy the thermostat.


For more information on this or other heating and plumbing topics, please contact Steve Burbridge at Anthony Plumbing, Heating and Cooling. Cell 816-564-4482 or email Steve at sburbridge@anthonyphc.com or Kelsey Huber at Cowtown Marketing, 913-649-4040 x102, or Kelsey@cowtownmarketing.com.