KALAMAZOO, Mich. — West Michigan’s first heat wave of the summer continued Wednesday, with temperatures soaring into the lower 90s.
It was the 4th consecutive day the mercury climbed to 90F or above in Kalamazoo, with a heat index at times nearing 100F.
During prolonged heat, your air conditioning unit is working overtime to cool your home. This also means your energy bill will go up quite a bit as well.
From June through the end of September, Consumers Energy customers pay about 1.5 times the normal rate during peak hours of energy usage: 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reducing energy consumption during those five hours can help lower your electric bill.
According to Eric Dingman, an installation supervisor with Bel-Aire Heating and Cooling, their phones have been ringing off the hook with service calls this week.
“A lot of people are turning their AC units for the first time, and they’re not coming on,” Dingman said. “Their capacitors are blown, it’s the number one thing to go in the heat.”
Dingman said the biggest thing to ensure your AC unit is running as efficiently as possible is to make sure it’s clear of debris and vents are cleaned.
Some videos circulating on social media suggest putting an umbrella over your unit to provide shade and increase its efficiency, something Dingman quickly shot down.
“Creating your own canopy would create shade but not enough to make an effect,” Dingman said. “Also, you can restrict the upflow above your unit.”
According to Consumers Energy, for every one degree higher you set your thermostat, you can expect 1 to 3% cost savings. For a $200 bill that might translate to $2 to $6 per degree.
“The higher you can set it, the less energy you’ll use,” Dingman said. “You want to be comfortable still and, in these extreme temperatures, there’s not much you can do.”
Experts recommend pre-cooling your home during the morning hours, then turning up the thermostat by about three to five degrees during the day.
Closing blinds and shades during peak afternoon heating can help keep your home cooler longer.
Delaying chores like laundry or running the dishwasher until after 7 p.m. can also help save energy and, therefore, money.
Other tips from Consumers Energy included:
- Be sure your ceiling fans are spinning counterclockwise
- Replace your furnace filters so your air conditioning runs more efficiently
- Use a programmable smart thermostat to maximize efficiency
- Avoid using the oven during the day
- Use a smart power strip to prevent devices from using energy while in standby mode
- Make the switch to LED light bulbs throughout your home
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory through Friday evening, highlighting an elevated risk of heat-related illness. It’s the earliest heat advisory to be issued since 2018, when the Kalamazoo area hit a high temperature of 94F on June 17 and 18.
