PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – It’s hot and getting hotter. And as the mercury rises, so does your energy bill. FOX 12 spoke with Portland General Electric about how to save money and keep your home cool during the heat.

If you work and live in air conditioning, you should find it easy to stay cool. If not, here are some suggestions.

Take advantage of cooler outdoor weather in the early morning and late evening.

“Open your windows, if it’s safe, during the cool hours, early morning late at night, to let the cool air in. Then close the windows as soon as the outside temperature reaches 75 to 80 degrees,” Andrea said. Platt at Portland General. Electric.

If you have a fan, use it to draw in cool air from outside. When it starts to heat up, try to keep your spot shaded with curtains, blinds, or whatever else you have to block the sun and keep the heat from building up inside.

Take a shower during cooler mornings or evenings. This is also the best time to run the dishwasher or your washer and dryer.

“If you have a kitchen or bathroom vent, limit their use because these can draw cool air out of the house,” Platt said.

And to save money this week, which could see both sky-high temperatures and energy bills, adjust your thermostat. If you usually set it at 70 degrees, increase it a few degrees. PGE said if you could turn it up to 76 degrees, you could save up to $13 on your monthly bill.

There is also an incentive program you can join that allows you to change your energy usage throughout the day. You can get a discount. You can check your energy consumption and costs online.

Consider switching to LED lights. Lower energy consumption and less heat translate into savings.

You can also craft swamp coolers, but there is some debate as to whether swamp coolers work in the Portland area.

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