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Ameren Illinois shares tips on saving money while cooling your home

Your instinct may be to crank the AC, but these tips will help you keep your energy bill down during the heatwave.

MOLINE, Ill. — With record temperatures across the country and nearly 100-degree weather in the Quad Cities, everyone is trying to beat the heat by cranking their AC. 

George Justice, VP of electric operations at Ameren Illinois, shared some tips on how to avoid breaking the bank while staying out of the heat:

  • Keep air vents clear: Drapes or furniture can block the flow of cold air.
  • Shut vents you're not using: Closing vents in rooms you don't use will redirect cold air to the rooms you occupy.
  • Close your window shades: If you have big windows, Justice said you can save up to 33% of cooling costs just by reducing the heat gains in your home. Dark to medium-colored curtains with a white, plastic-type backing are the most effective at blocking heat.
  • Point a fan at yourself: Running a fan counterclockwise will create a wind chill effect that will keep you cool when combined with an AC. Make sure to turn the fan off when you leave the room.
  • Keep your thermostat running at a constant, reasonable temperature: Justice said he personally runs his AC at 75 degrees.
  • Reduce the amount of cooking heat in your home: Try alternatives like cooking or grilling outside, ordering out or using an air fryer.

Justice said he's not worried about the grid overloading, but there is a definite peak in electricity usage right now. 

"We spend a lot of time planning for days just like this one," Justice said. "In fact, days that are hotter than this one."

News Eight also spoke with Doug's Heating and Air Conditioning on how to keep your HVAC and air conditioning unit running smoothly during the high temperatures. They say they've seen double the amount of work this week than normal. 

"Number one thing we recommend is when we have extreme weather, make sure your air filter is clean," said service manager Ben Bocox. "Second thing is routine maintenance. Most of our customers who do regular maintenance have very few breakdowns."

Also, Bocox says that keeping the bushes around your outdoor unit trimmed back helps increase air flow. "When the coils are blocked and they can't breathe, airflow can't move through properly," Bocox said. "It'd be similar to driving your car in the middle of summer with cardboard in front of your radiator."

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