Electric Bill

Did your electric bill go up this month? You may have thought...hmm...a little high, but...I have been running the air conditioner almost constantly. While the constant cooling may have attributed some to the high costs of energy this last month, it may not be the sole cause. California regulators gave Edison the 'OK' to raise their rates in Southern California as of March 2009.

Read the story here: http://articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/13/business/fi-edison13

So, while there may not be anything you can do about your increased rate - if ever there was a time to start conserving electricity it's now!

Consider using lights only when they are needed. If natural light from the windows will suffice, don't turn on the lights, especially since lighting can increase the overall temperature of the room. Make sure to turn lights off when they are not needed, or when you leave a room. If you haven't switched over to efficient light bulbs, do so - they do actually conserve energy and last longer to boot.

Keep the drapes closed! If you have one side of the house that gets major sun consider installing outside shades to block and deflect some of the heat.

Focus on your attic - a lot of cool air can be lost through the attic. So if you have an older home (with less insulation) consider getting more insulation or even a radiant barrier installed to prevent the heat from your attic from getting into your home.