KNOXVILLE, Tenn.  — The heat is ON as temperatures are expected to stay in the 90s across much of the Valley for the next several days. The Tennessee Valley Authority and your local power company are ready to keep power flowing, but there some easy things you can do to help keep your cool and lessen the impact of future electric bills.

• Crank it up - Setting your thermostat just one degree higher can save up to 3 percent on your power bill. A setting of around 75 degrees is the “sweet spot” to maximize your savings.
• Don’t “yo-yo” your thermostat – Keep your thermostat changes to 2 or 3 degree adjustments no more than once every four hours. Constantly turning your thermostat way up during the day and then way down when you get home forces your unit to work harder than needed, costing you more money.
• It’s curtains for you – Or maybe blinds, but try to cover your windows on the south and west sides of your home in order to block sunlight during the warmest parts of the day.
• Get out of the kitchen - Summer is the perfect time for grilling outside, which keeps the heat from cooking outside your home.  Remember that microwaves also create far less heat than stovetop or oven cooking.

These no-cost, easy-to-do actions can help make an immediate difference in your power use without forcing you to break a sweat.  More summer energy tips can be found at www.energyright.com/For-Your-Home.

TVA and local power companies are also doing their part to ensure reliable power.  All available generating units are being readied for operation and less critical maintenance activities are being delayed. 

It’s all a part of continuing our 83-year mission of service to the Tennessee Valley.