By April Sorrow, Jefferson, Ga.   |  As temperatures climb into the 90s, Jackson Electric Membership Corporation encourages members to reduce energy use where possible to save money. When temperatures outside are high, heat pumps must work overtime to keep the air indoors cool.
Follow these tips to reduce energy use to save money.

Stay cool for less. Nearly half of the electricity used at home goes to condition the air inside. To impact cost, the air conditioner or heat pump needs to run less.

* Set your thermostat to 78 degrees.
* Don’t turn off the air conditioner when you’re gone; instead set it higher. Turning it off makes the system work much harder to overcome the heat built up in the house when you turn it back on.
* Better still, use a programmable thermostat. Set it to bring your home’s temperature down to 78 degrees 30 minutes before you get home.