Summer may officially begin in just a few days, but hot, muggy weather has already arrived. Alabama Power offers the following tips to help you conserve energy and stay cool during the summer ahead:

• Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher, and use ceiling fans along with air conditioning to help reduce energy costs. Raising your thermostat settings by two degrees can reduce your air-conditioning energy use by up to 10 percent while the cost of running the ceiling fan is minimal.
   
• For heat-reducing, cost-effective cooking, consider using the microwave, an electric frying pan, grill or toaster oven instead of a full-size oven. Small appliances use about one-third the power of an oven broiler and create less heat in your kitchen. Remove excess heat and moisture by using a kitchen exhaust fan, but don’t let the fan run for more than 15 minutes after cooking. After 15 minutes, the fan will start to pull cool air out of the home.
   
• Handle household chores, such as mopping and washing dishes, or running the clothes dryer, during the coolest part of the day. These tasks add moisture and heat to your home in the summer.
   
• Keep curtains drawn or blinds closed on the sunny side of the house to help keep out heat.
   
• For more energy savings without spending much, use caulk and weather-stripping in places where cool air may be escaping. Stopping the leaks will pay off now and next winter – when you want the cold air outside and warm air inside.

Eligible Alabama Power customers can help manage their home energy consumption online with “My Power Usage.” It allows customers to view daily and monthly usage, and learn their projected electric service amounts before receiving their bill. Customers can also receive email alerts when their bills reach a predetermined dollar amount. To learn more, visit www.alabamapower.com/mypowerusage.

Find more energy-saving tips and get a free online energy checkup at www.alabamapower.com. Take the quick checkup or the full checkup, and get customized information on ways to save energy.

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO), provides reliable electricity to more than 1.4 million customers at a total retail price that has been below the national average for decades. Learn more at www.alabamapower.com.