Local News
When it’s hot, keep your cool
Ways to save on summer utilities
When air conditioning creeps outside, utility bills can creep up in cost if homeowners are not aware of a few simple precautions.
“The most common tip I tell people is to make sure that their air filter is changed frequently and have their system checked by a qualified technician at least once a year,” said Kendall Hawn, service manager at Total Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning in Richmond.
When it comes to older homes, homeowners should make sure that the duct work is checked for leakage, he said.
Another very simple precaution homeowners can take is to make sure that furniture is not placed on top of return vents throughout the home, Hawn said.
Kentucky Utilities customers have the option of participating in the Demand Conservation Program that can help reduce the costs of heating and cooling a person’s living space.
The program offers customers a free device that is connected to the central air conditioner, heat pump or electric water heater.
This equipment helps reduce peak demand and enables power plants to operate more efficiently, according to information at www.eon-us.com, the Web site for KU.
If the equipment is used property, it can help homeowners reduce their year-round heating and cooling bill by 10 to 20 percent each year.
Steve King at Modern Air Conditioning and Heating in Berea said a lot of the Madison County homes he services do not have insulated crawl spaces.
This can cause homeowners to lose 20 to 25 percent of their air conditioning or heat, King said.
Homeowners may have a tendency to turn their air conditioning off when they leave for vacation, but ironically, leaving it running can save more money, he said.
“Just turn it back five or seven degrees,” King said.
When you turn the air conditioning off, moisture builds up inside everything in the house, such as pillows, couches and beds, he said.
Pulling that moisture out when you return and turn the air conditioning back on can be a more costly process than if the humidity levels had stayed the same, he said.
Homeowners who implement suggested energy saving tips can see the difference in their utility bills by using the “Calculate Your Energy Costs” resource available at www.energysavers.gov.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.
Save energy during summer months
• Closing, or partially closing, blinds and drapes during hot days can reduce air conditioning demand by keeping out sun and heat. Windows facing south let in the most heat.
• Lights, televisions, computers and appliances not only use electricity, they generate heat. Keep them turned off when they are not needed.
• Use appliances such as ovens, dishwashers and clothes dryers early in the day or late in the evening, when temperatures are cooler.
• Use a microwave instead of your stove and oven. It generates less heat.
• Use the exhaust fans in your bathroom sparingly. In just one hour they can remove a houseful of cooled air. Install a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans use about 98 percent less energy than most central air conditioners.
Source: www.energy.ky.gov.
- Local News
-
-
Summer camp ‘slip sliding away’
-
Berea’s ‘Head of the Holler’ series to air Sunday on KET
A new video series titled “Head of the Holler” and produced by Berea College will debut on KET through August. The first episode will air Sunday and will feature renowned author Silas House.
-
Reconstruction projects proposed
The public had an opportunity to ask questions and view proposed changes to the interchange at I-75 at KY 627 and the Colonel Road and Simpson Road intersection, during an informal meeting Thursday at White Hall Elementary School.
-
Berea man hit by car in serious condition
A Berea man is in serious condition after he was struck by a car Thursday evening.
-
BREAKING NEWS: Florida woman injured in crash near Berea
Berea Police responded Saturday to the scene of a multiple vehicle crashes on Interstate 75 northbound just north of Exit 76.
At about 9:30 a.m., two separate crashes occurred simultaneously when drivers attempted to avoid a ladder in the center lane of the roadway. -
Damage from Berea flooding about $892K
The water has long since seeped away, but the damage it left behind in Berea is now being tabulated.
-
Baldwin Farms shows plastic cover, irrigation
There has been no drought this summer. However, much of the rainfall has come in occasional downpours, which is not necessarily good for growing vegetables.
-
Berea man struck by car in serious condition
A Berea man is in serious condition after he was struck by a car Thursday evening. Frank Bloom, 59, is in serious condition at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. He walked into the parth of a car on KY 1016 at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Berea Police. The accident occured in front of the Silver Creek Shell, 865 KY 1016.
-
Berea men indicted for passing forged checks
A Madison County grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday against two Berea men for allegedly passing multiple forged checks.
-
Hearing waived
A former employee of an adult day care facility waived her right to a preliminary hearing on an abuse charge Wednesday in Madison District Court.
- More Local News Headlines
-
