NORTH DAKOTA ( KXNET ) — More and more people are heading inside to escape the first major heatwave of the year that has rolled over North Dakota, and with air conditioner units blasting, that can mean higher electric bills.

“It’s amazing how hot that sun is and how much it can heat your home if you’re in direct sunlight,” expressed Mark Hanson, the senior public relations representative for MDU Resources Group, Inc.

Hanson says that the more air conditioning you use to cool your home takes more electricity.

“It depends on what you have it set at. The hotter it is and the cooler you put that AC setting, the more it’s going to run,” said Hanson.

To save energy and lower your electric bill, he advises that you turn down your AC setting a few notches and adds that there are ways you can prep your home to absorb less solar heat inside during the day.

Hanson says a simple way to keep your home cooler on hot days is to close your blinds and curtains as this will block any sun rays from coming in and heating the interior of your house.

“If it’s cooler at night, open the windows and let some cooler air in,” he explained, as this will allow your home to naturally cool down without using electricity.

He also recommends getting an air conditioner with a programmable thermostat that will better regulate the amount of AC needed when you’re not home.

He says the AC can be programmed to switch to a lower setting 20 or 30 minutes before you come home, allowing the house to cool off more by the time you arrive.

If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, he says you can also manually turn the air conditioner down when you leave and turn it back up when you come home.

He also advises that you need to ensure your air conditioner filters are kept clean of dust and debris, as this will allow the blower to run more efficiently and use less energy to push the cooler air through the unit.

By maintaining your air conditioner and setting your thermostat a little lower, Hanson says you can still stay cool while keeping your energy costs down.

Check out energy.gov for more summer electricity-saving tips.

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