LUS Offers Free Home Analysis to Help Lower Utility Bills

Three things we can count on in summer in south Louisiana: mosquitoes, heat, and a higher electric bill.

There's not much we can do about the first two, but LUS offers a free service that may help you keep the cost of cooling off down and make you more eco-friendly. There's even an option for non-LUS customers!

Any LUS customer can call their Conservation Specialist at 337-291-8194 and schedule a Home Energy Audit. Basically, this person will help identify ways in your home specifically where air may be leaking, you may need better insulation that you are unaware of, and make suggestions so that you are more comfortable both physically and financially.

And this service is free! And it could save you money! It's a no-brainer, really.

I recently found out that the gentleman in charge of this department, Garrison Harrison, is someone with whom I graduated from high school. He's one smart guy!

For those of us (like me) who are not LUS customers or those who don't want to schedule a visit, there is a link to a government website called Home Energy Saver where you can put in the specs for your home and get suggestions for saving yourself some money each month.

As you can see from the usage graph from my electric bill and I'm sure from the amount you pay in the summer versus the few winter months, we use a lot more as the heat and humidity rise.

Here are a few easy suggestions from the Home Energy Saver website that I use that have helped me:

1. Unplug appliances, power cords, or any other devices that don't require constant electricity. They sap electricity.
2. Make sure ceiling fans are spinning counterclockwise. Otherwise, they are recirculating warm air.
3. Invest in programmable thermostats. I know, personally, this has saved my family money. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. Set it to a temperature that is bearable and turn it down as needed.
4. Turn off the lights.

I am a fan of summer, but I am not a fan of being uncomfortable in my own home. However, I find spending money unnecessarily even less attractive. Hopefully, this will help us all, no matter what our preference.