In Arizona, 50,000 customers of the Salt River Project utility have cut energy use by an average of 13%, thanks to a gizmo that lets them monitor their daily bill, so they can see exactly how much they save by bumping up the thermostat a few degrees. In Texas, Reliant Energy reports an 8% drop in per-customer energy use since 2005.
在亚利桑那州，盐河项目的5万名用户已平均减少了13%的用电量，原因是他们安装了一个能实时显示每日用电量的小仪器，这样他们可以清楚地看到如果把室温调高几度，那么能少用多少电。能源企业Reliant Energy表示，德克萨斯州的人均用电量自2005年以来减少了8%。
The Department of Energy calculates that heating and cooling account for nearly half the energy used in a typical home. That’s more than all the light bulbs, the dishwasher, the refrigerator, the hot-water heater and the washer and dryer -- combined.
美国能源部做过计算，一栋普通住宅供暖和冷风的用电成本在总电费占去了将近一半，比一个家庭中灯泡、洗碗机、冰箱、热水器、洗衣机和烘干机全部加起来的耗电都要多。
Replacing a standard air conditioner set at 22 degrees with an energy-efficient model set at 25.5 can cut your cooling costs in half, though savings vary by climate, according to Xcel Energy Inc., a regional utility based in Minneapolis. A programmable thermostat can save as much as 12%. A ceiling fan can lower a room’s temperature by several degrees. Even something as simple as switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs can make a big difference in electricity bills.
明尼阿波利斯市地方公用事业企业埃克西尔能源公司表示，如果把标准的22摄氏度室内空调温度改为25.5度的节电模式，大约能够节省一半的电费；当然，具体程度根据外界温度而有所不同。安装一个室内温控器可以节省12%的电费，在天花板上安装吊扇可以降低几度室温，甚至使用节能灯泡都有助于显著减少电费。
Micki Wehmeier offers another tip: Marry a man who likes it hot.
梅琪.韦麦尔还有一个小窍门：嫁给一个不怕热的老公。
Ms. Wehmeier and her husband, Gary, are renting a modest apartment this summer while they fix up a house they just bought in Des Peres, Mo. To save money, they resolved to keep the thermostat at 24.
今年夏天，梅琪和她丈夫盖瑞要给刚在密苏里州Des Peres买的房子装修，于是租了一个小房子过渡一下。为了省钱，他们决心把室内温度调到24度。
’He’s got more willpower,’ his wife says.
“他的意志力比我坚定。”梅琪说道。
And Reba Kennedy, who turned off her central air altogether?
那么，关掉中央空调的瑞芭?肯尼迪境况如何呢？
Ms. Kennedy now cools just the three rooms she uses most in her San Antonio home, with window units set at 25.5 degrees. To her surprise, she has found it pleasurable. With her downstairs windows open, she can smell the honeysuckle in her yard. She loves the look of her sheer curtains blowing in the breeze.
现在，住在圣安东尼奥的瑞芭只在最常用的三个房间使用窗式空调，温度调为25.5度。令她没想到的是，这种降温方法能让人过得很舒服。她把楼下的窗户打开，院子里金银花的香味阵阵飘来，而且她还喜欢看到微风撩起窗帘的样子。
Last week, though, when she reviewed her electric bills, Ms. Kennedy found that her sacrifices haven’t translated into savings. In June of 2006 -- with the central air on full blast -- she used an average of 26 kilowatt hours a day. Last month? An average of 44.
然而，上周她收到电费帐单时，发现自己的牺牲没有得到应有的回报。2006年6月份──中央空调完全打开的那个月──家里每天的平均耗电量是26度；但2008年6月份呢？每天的平均耗电量是44度。
Harvey Sachs, a senior fellow at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, says that isn’t surprising, because window units are notoriously inefficient.
美国节能经济委员会的资深成员哈维.萨奇说，这并不奇怪，因为窗式空调非常费电。
Her advice to middle-class families: Pull the plug.
她对中产阶级家庭的建议是：拔掉电源插头。
’You’ll be hot,’ Ms. Boylan said. ’Put a little cold water on your face and get on with your life.’
“你会觉得很热，”凯茜说，“那就往脸上泼点凉水降温，你会发现日子能照过不误。”