Hot weather has residents seeking relief

DENVER — Another sweltering day had many people cranking up their cooling, and Todd Terry, owner of Apple Aire, was booked solid with appointments.

“A lot of people desperate to get their air conditioner going,” Terry said. “They’ve broken, or they want to buy air conditioning.”

While some choose to cool off outdoors, others just want to stay out of the sun. That meant a busy day for Xcel Energy.

“Today we’re up above 6,000 megawatts, which is a lot,” said spokesperson Gabriel Romero. “Normally on a 70-80 degree day we’re somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 megawatts.”

How can you keep costs down?

“Make sure that your windows are closed all the way if your air conditioner is running, make sure there are no gaps,” Romero said. “Make sure you’re not getting air in your home and make sure the doors are closed.”

If you want to keep your AC running without a visit from a repairman, check your furnace filters.

“June and July is our cotton season, where the cotton flies from the trees,” Terry said. “Those are plugging up air conditioners. If you can see a way to hose them off and clean them off, try that.”

It’s also important to keep an eye on your health when extreme weather hits. Check out this advice from the American Red Cross.