Keep Your Cool And Your Cash

Honeywell Inc., maker of climate control products, offers these tips for saving up to 18 percent on your energy bill this summer:

Turn up your thermostat 5 degrees (from 75 to 80 degrees, for example) for eight hours a day, perhaps when the family is at work.

Keep the humidity low inside the house by running exhaust fans when cooking or bathing.

Clean window-unit air conditioners: Use a garden hose to wash down the filters covering the cooling coils and also the coils.

Make sure central air conditioning systems are operating at peak capacity: Check the temperature of the air coming from the vents. Warm air could mean a lack of Freon or a bad compressor.

Consider getting a new, high-efficiency model if your current air conditioner is more than eight years old. It is likely to pay for itself within five years.

Call in a heating and cooling contractor annually for servicing and cleaning.

Make sure the air filter is clean. Wash or replace it every season, according to manufacturers’ instructions.

For a free consumer brochure, “Hot Tips for Cool Comfort: Melt Those Energy Bills,” which lists other ideas, call Honeywell at (800) 345-6770, ext. 7122.