Keeping Cool, Part Three

Susan S. Kaplan

Marketing & Outreach Coordinator, Department of Energy Resources

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Here are some more ideas for using less energy, managing your energy bills, and reducing your impact on climate change during the hot weather.

* When buying a room air conditioner, look for one that has earned EPA’s Energy Star. If every room air conditioner in the United States were Energy Star qualified, they would prevent 900 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually—equivalent to the emissions from 80,000 cars.

* Add insulation to your attic to keep cool air in. If every American household did so, Americans would collectively save more than $1.8 billion in yearly energy costs. * Hire a contractor to seal and insulate the interior ductwork in your home (the ducts you can’t reach yourself). For help on choosing the right contractor, go to http://www.energystar.gov/homeimprovement.

* If your central air conditioning unit is more than 12 years old, replacing it with a model that has earned EPA’s Energy Star could cut your cooling costs by 30 percent. For help with these and other energy saving actions, contact Mass Save, an initiative sponsored by Massachusetts’ gas and electric utilities and energy efficiency service providers, which work closely with the Department of Energy Resources.