BEND, OR -- "The heatwave’s already upon us," says Pacific Power's Tom Gauntt, "But you still have time to do something like check your filters on an air conditioner to make sure any internal ductwork is not obstructed. And, you can also make sure the outside unit hasn’t had a lot of growth around it in recent weeks, as everything kind of burst into flower around here."

Only about 50% of Oregonians have air conditioning, but Gauntt says even those who do shouldn’t take it for granted. He recommends setting the thermostat to 78, so the AC doesn’t work too hard. Bump it up to a little over 80 when you’re gone. "I know that also sounds concerning but, if your system is in good shape, it doesn’t take that long to cool back down," he tells KBND News, "Whereas, if you’re gone for four or five, six hours, maintaining a cooler temperature when there’s no one there to benefit from it takes up a lot of energy."

With or without AC, keep curtains and blinds closed during the day, and open windows at night when things cool off. "It’s also not the time to say, ‘let’s see how many cookies we can bake today,’ right? So, try to minimize whatever kind of ways you might heat up your house." That means cook outside if you can, and run your dishwasher, washer and dryer at night or early in the morning.

And, if your place is just too hot, seek out a local cooling shelter.