Florida Power & Light Company today offered important money-saving and energy conservation advice for customers planning to leave their residences for extended periods during the summer months. The energy experts at FPL say to keep bills down this summer, customers can give their homes an energy vacation.

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The company offers these helpful tips for curbing energy use in common household equipment:

Air Conditioner

Use a timer or a programmable thermostat set to run only two hours per day, which is all that's needed to help protect your home's contents from mold and mildew. The thermostat should be set several degrees cooler than the anticipated nighttime low temperature, which is about 70F in most Florida areas. Replace the backup batteries for the programmable thermostat before leaving.

If a timer or programmable thermostat is not an option, the company suggests a setting of 82F on the standard control and setting the fan switch to "auto" for the summer. Hot summer weather will cause the central air conditioner to operate more often, even at a conservative setting, which will increase your electric bill.

Water Heaters

FPL suggests turning the home's water heater off while the residence is vacant. Turn the water heater off at the breaker or it will continue to maintain hot water in the tank -- even if you're not there to use it.

Swimming Pool Heaters

Turn the swimming pool heater off before vacating to avoid unnecessary electric usage and a high bill, too.

Refrigerators

Set the appliance at the warmest setting if left on. If turning the refrigerator off, clean its interior with a solution of 1 tablespoon of baking soda in 1 quart of water, dry thoroughly, and leave the refrigerator and freezer doors ajar.

Security Lighting

FPL recommends timers for lights left on for security purposes as well as long-life halogen bulbs in outside fixtures.

Additionally, the company offers convenient billing and payment options that meet the needs of part-time or traveling residents. These include automatic fund transfers and e-mail bills. Customers may seek additional information and energy-saving ideas by visiting http://www.fpl.com/ or calling 1-800-DIAL-FPL.

FPL Group, with annual revenues of more than $8 billion, is nationally known as a high-quality, efficient, and customer-driven organization, focused on energy-related products and services. With a growing presence in more than 15 states, it is widely recognized as one of the country's premier power companies. Its principal subsidiary, Florida Power & Light Company, serves approximately 3.9 million customer accounts in Florida. FPL Energy, LLC, an FPL Group energy-generating subsidiary is a leader in producing electricity from clean and renewable fuels. FPL FiberNet, LLC is a provider of fiber- optic networks in Florida. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.fplgroup.com/, http://www.fpl.com/, http://www.fplenergy.com/ and http://www.fplfibernet.com/.

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SOURCE: Florida Power & Light Company