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NEW YORK CITY — To keep the sun's heat from warming up your home, you may be tempted to blast your air conditioner all day.
But a new device, a "modlet," can cut your energy usage and your bill. It works with any air conditioner that uses an electric plug. You set the temperature with the remote and download the app to your smartphone. The modlet costs about $50 at select Best Buy stores.
[ Con Ed recommends](<http://www.coned.com/newsroom/news/pr20120426.asp >) setting your air conditioner at 78 degrees.
"For every degree you lower your air conditioner, you probably your increase your cooling cost by about 6 percent," said Michael Clendenin, Con Edison spokesman.
He also recommends avoiding the oven.
"Your oven obviously creates heat, if you can cook in the microwave, cook in the microwave," Clendenin said. "It does use more energy though, but it's not gonna heat up your house the way an oven would."
Dishwashers and other large appliances also create heat.
"Washers, dryers, all those things that create heat, run those things at night," Clendenin said.
Other ways to cut your bill include turning lights off when you're not using them so that they don't produce heat, and removing dust from the light bulbs. The dust makes the bulb burn hotter, which creates heat.
