With National Weather Service heat advisories comes more Ozone Action Days, declared by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) as days when high ozone levels can cause serious health problems, and the heat also causes more stress on our electricity grid as AC systems work overtime. To help keep our air cleaner and our electrical system running smoothly, here are some suggestions from NCTCOG:
- Refuel during cooler temperatures. Gas fumes heat up in hotter temperatures, so in order to prevent that, the best time to refuel your vehicle in summer is either in the evening or early morning.
- Reduce idling. It is a myth that restarting your car uses more fuel and that it will slowly wear out your engine. Every hour of idling wastes about 30 percent of a gallon of fuel.
- Close windows and blinds to avoid unnecessarily heating up your home, and utilize fans to tolerate higher AC settings. Only keep fans on when you’re in the room. (Remember, fans cool you, not the room.)
- Don’t crank the air conditioning when you arrive home from spending time outdoors, rather, slowly lower the temperature over time and use fans to keep cool while waiting. Immediately changing your thermostat to a much lower setting will not cool your home any more efficiently.
More energy saving tips: Sustainable Summer Fun (airnorthtexas.org); Spring and Summer Energy-Saving Tips | Department of Energy
More fuel emissions tips: Protecting the Air We Breathe (airnorthtexas.org)
