Soaring temperatures come with soaring power bills

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- When temperatures soar, so do power bills. Keeping cool and comfortable isn't cheap -- with air conditioning taking up as much as 60 to 70-percent of your monthly electric bill.

After a streak of triple digit temperatures, many families are seeing power bills in the triple digits as well.

PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said, "It's an impetus to look for ways to conserve and how they can reduce their costs. Really the biggest driver of folks' energy costs is air conditioners."

Fresno teacher Brian Wilson is home with his kids during the summers.

"I watch it, I usually put it between 80 and 82 I usually have the house fans on to keep it down," said Wilson. "During the course of the week, we don't do laundry, dishwasher things like that between the house of 10 and 7pm."

Wilson also replaced his lighting with energy efficient bulbs. And installed solar panels on his home. All which helped significantly lower his monthly bill.

"You don't have that sticker shock I can tell you. My bill for this month was just a little over $26.

For more ways to save, Wilson turned to PG&E's Aaron Keough to conduct an energy audit.

On the outside of the house, Keough recommended regular twice a year maintenance on the a/c unit to keep it running efficiently. And upgrading to energy efficient models if yours is over 12 years old.

On the inside, a whole house fan uses less energy than the a/c.

Keough said, "A whole house fan is actually bringing in cooler air outside in through your house."

Keep filters and vents clean and doors open to get the most out of central air conditioning.

Keough added, "When you shut doors or you shut those vents, the system is not operating as a system. It's not as efficient."

Seal any leaks around windows and doorways, and keep blinds closed for a savings of $10 a year.

Reduce the water heater temperature to cut $20 a year from your bill. And wash clothes in cold water whenever possible, to save another $10.

Simply adjusting the display on your TV can save as much as $40 a year.

Turning off your computer and unplugging non-essential appliances can save over $100 a year.