Oct. 20, 2026 5 AM PT
To the editor: The very best way to keep electric bills reasonable is to not use your air conditioner (“Sky-high LADWP bills light up social media,” Oct. 17). This is possible when one has a home that is highly insulated and surrounded by trees. Remove excess concrete outside, which radiates heat. One might also add outdoor shade on windows (dual-paned windows definitely help), and outdoor umbrellas or other shade structures.
Have fans throughout your house. Bring in the cool air at night (sometimes it does not cool down much, but it’s cooler than at the peak of the day). These “passive cooling” strategies really work! And if one must use an air conditioner, try an energy-efficient heat pump.
I have an all-electric home. My energy bill is around $150 per month in the summer, lower in the winter (I bundle up in the winter).
The point is, we can keep our bill low, remain comfortable and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It can get toasty inside sometimes — up to the high 80s when it’s 105 outside — but with the fans blowing and my ice water, I manage just fine.
Tessa Charnofsky, West Hills