Simple electrical projects can make your home safer, more energy efficient and assure savings on your power bill.

Here are a few to add to your Carolina Cool to-do list.

• Install ceiling fans in every room. Turn fans in the counterclockwise direction during summer and the opposite direction, at low speed, in winter. Adjust your thermostat when using ceiling fans for additional dollar savings.

• Install a programmable thermostat and set your home’s temperature four to eight degrees warmer in the summer (and cooler in the winter) to save, save, save when you’re away. A typical, single-family home can cut costs annually by up to $180, says the U.S. Department of Energy.

• Install LED light fixtures, some of which use 75 percent less energy, last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting and provide ideal light color. LED lights output less heat so they go easier on the AC.

• Install thermostat-controlled attic fans – another money saver for summer that also keeps the roof deck cool and dry, extending the life of roof shingles.

• Install GFCIs, plugs rated to trip quickly in order to prevent an electrical incident, in kitchen, baths, outside – anywhere near water.
Link for programmable HVAC thermostats:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=TH