Summer Energy Tips

Image of a woman watching her children play in a sprinkler

Get ready for summer!

Learn how rising temperatures can impact your bill and explore tips and tools to help you manage your energy use.

How the warm weather affects your electricity use

Manage your energy use and bill

Tips to reduce your energy usage

Summer safety tips

How the warm weather impacts your energy use

High temperatures may increase your electricity use, which can have a major effect on your energy bill. Understand how it happens:

Hot weather makes your a ir conditioner run l onger to maintain a comfortable temperature, which raises electricity use. Your refrigerator and freezer also tend to use more energy in warmer weather.

During spring and summer, the humidity is usually higher. Dehumidifiers work longer to remove moisture from the air, which increases energy use.

During the summer months, we usually use more appliances like fans and pool pumps. This can have a big effect on your energy use, which reflects on your bill. Understand your needs and use your appliances wisely.

The Department of Energy states clogged filters or vents force systems to work up to 15% harder. Clean your filter once a month and vents once a year. It can also help with those annoying allergies!

If your home isn’t well insulated, cool air escapes and hot air gets in, forcing your systems to work harder and, increasing your energy consumption. Inspect for leaks or gaps and seal them.

People tend to stay at home more during summer breaks or vacations, leading to higher use of electricity for heating water, electronics, lighting and appliances. The good news: spending more time outdoors can also help reduce your energy use.

Manage your energy use and bill

Use our tools to help you track your usage and manage your energy bill, so you can make smart decisions all summer long.

Energy Manager

Use Energy Manager to track your energy by the hour, see weather impacts, and understand what’s driving your bill.

SimplePay

SimplePay helps you avoid seasonal swings with a stable monthly payment based on your past year of energy use.

Alerts

Stay in control with real-time usage alerts. Set them up in your account under Preferences - plus get outage and payment alerts, too!

Tips to reduce energy use

A few adjustments in your routine can make a big difference.

According to the DOE, you should set your air conditioning to 75° or higher during the warm season. You can save as much as 10% a year on cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.

Whenever you’re not home, raise the temperature, unless you have a heat pump. With a programmable thermostat, you can do it anytime and anywhere.

Poorly sealed ductwork allows conditioned air to leak, wasting energy and increasing cooling costs. Look for and seal any leaks in your ductwork and visit Efficiency Maine for more solutions.

Use a rolled towel or rug to seal gaps under doors and windows and keep cool air inside. Small steps like this help keep cool air inside.

Close air conditioning vents in rooms you’re not using during the season. Keep your cool air where you actually need it.

Newer, high-efficiency systems use less energy and can lower your cooling costs. Heat pumps are very efficient and usually have a lower carbon footprint than other options. Visit EfficiencyMaine.com to learn more.

Open curtains in the morning or later in the day to use natural light without adding heat. During the hottest hours, keep curtains closed—especially on west- and south-facing windows—to block heat and reduce cooling costs. Consider thermal or reflective curtains that reduce heat gain while still allowing some light.

Fans cool people, not rooms. Turn them off when you leave, and do the same with lights.

Opening the fridge or freezer door for long periods lets all the cold air escape, making it work longer to maintain temperatures. Decide what you need before opening the door. Same goes for the oven—use the window instead of opening the door all the time!

Skip the dryer and hang clothes outside or on a rack. It saves energy and extends the life of your clothes.

We are here to help

Managing a higher bill during summer can be challenging and we understand that. If you need financial assistance, visit our Help With Bill page, where you’ll find a variety of support programs.

Summer safety tips

From thunderstorms to digging, learn what to do to keep you and your family safe.

Planning to remodel or plant trees this summer? You could risk hitting underground utility lines. Contact DIG Safe before work begins so underground utilities can be safely located and marked.

Keep a safe distance from power lines and never touch cables with any part of your body. This includes activities like trimming trees, flying drones or kites, and setting off fireworks. No line is safe to touch EVAH.

Never use electrical cords or devices near water. For pools or hot tubs, make sure all electrical connections are properly grounded. Install ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets near water to help prevent electric shock.

Summer use often means more devices plugged in. Avoid overloading outlets by spreading out your devices and using power strips with surge protection.

Only use electrical devices and extension cords labeled for outdoor use. These are designed to handle moisture and heat. When possible, choose battery-powered tools to reduce risk.

Stay away from objects that conduct electricity, like metal fences. If you see a downed power line, stay away and call 911 or 800.696.1000.

In case of flooding:

Stay out of flooded basements! Energized wiring or outlets below the water line may pose a hazard.
Contact us to have electricity service turned off. You should never attempt to turn off electricity service yourself.
Once flood waters have receded, it’s important you first work with an electrician and/or plumbing and heating contractor to have your equipment checked, repaired and ensure it’s safe. Depending on the electrical equipment impacted by flooding, an inspection by a certified electrical inspector may be required before service can be restored.