The South County Energy Efficiency Partnership (SCEEP), a partnership of Southern California Edison, the cities of Carpinteria, Goleta and Santa Barbara, and Santa Barbara County, introduces a number of ways to conserve energy this summer, which will lower energy bills and save money.

“Saving energy and money this summer can be as easy as running fans instead of air conditioning and staying hydrated throughout the day,” said Kirsten Deshler, a city of Goleta public information officer. “And with great rebates from Southern California Edison, there is no reason not to do everything we can to save energy, money and the environment this summer.”

SCEEP offers the following summer-specific, energy-saving tips:

» Run fans, which not only will keep you cool but cost less to run than air conditioning.

» Keep hydrated. Stock the refrigerator with plenty of refreshing drinks, such as water and iced tea, and fill the freezer with popsicles.

» Instead of running the air conditioner, dress appropriately for the hot weather by wearing loose-fitting, light clothing.

» Open windows to let in any breeze or fresh air.

If it’s still too warm for you, SCEEP recommends the following tips for air conditioning and home insulation:

» Replace the air conditioner’s filter regularly to help it run more effectively, or get a complete AC tune-up.

» Seal and weather strip windows and doors to ensure cool air won’t escape through leaks.

» The easiest and most cost-effective way to insulate a home is to add insulation in the attic. If you have fewer than 6 or 7 inches of insulation, you can probably benefit by adding more.

» Purchase and permanently install a whole house fan in your attic and get a rebate of $50 from Southern California Edison. An existing central air conditioner or central heat pump that is in working condition is required.

You can do more this summer to conserve energy than just changing how you keep cool. Consider the following year-round suggestions to save even more money and energy:

Lighting and Cooking

» Get in the habit of turning off lights as soon as you leave a room.

» Replace all incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs to save up to $50 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. These light bulbs use two-thirds less energy and last up to 10 times longer.

» When cooking, keep the lids on pots. Better yet, use a microwave oven instead to reduce cooking time, which cuts down on energy usage.

» Don’t peek. Every time you open the oven door to look at the food, the oven temperature is lowered up to 75 degrees. Use a timer if the oven door doesn’t have a window.

» Use pots and pans that fit the burners. Pans that fit a burner absorb more of the energy, reducing the amount of heat that is lost.

Electronics and Appliances

» Make sure the refrigerator’s door gasket is in good condition, and that its condenser coil is clean and free of lint.

» Unplug consumer electronics when they are not in use. Even when turned off, CD players in the United States consume enough energy in one year to power the Las Vegas Strip for six months.

» Run the dishwasher (and other nonessential appliances) before noon or after 6 p.m. Run only full loads and use the shortest possible cycle.

» Avoid using the “rinse hold” setting on the dishwasher. “Rinse hold” uses three to seven gallons of hot water for each use, and heating water takes extra energy.

» Scrape, don’t rinse dishes before loading the dishwasher. Pre-rinsing can use up to 20 gallons of water.

» Use cold water to wash your clothes. The majority of energy used for doing laundry comes from heating water, and today’s detergents are designed to clean in any water temperature.

By keeping SCEEP’s tips in mind and in practice during the next few months, you will ensure you’re saving maximum amounts of energy and money. For more information and tips, click here or call 805.963.0583 x 105.

— Daniella Elghanayan is a publicist.