The late July mercury is rising and so are utility bills. There are conservation steps people can take to alleviate the strain of higher utility costs.
Because of air conditioning, electricity use increases drastically during summer months.
"The biggest demand on the system is air conditioning and that happens between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. It really adds a lot to the load but we are still 7 percent below our projected daily high for the summer," Scott McCloud, SWEPCO spokesman.
Tips to cut back on the electric bill are fairly simple but can make a big difference.
"What you try to do is keep the hot sun and heat out of the house," McCloud said. "You want to insulate that house as much as you can, as cheap as you can. Keep doors closed. Keep windows closed and use weather stripping."
The thermostat is key to lowering the electric bill. SWEPCO recommends people set their thermostat at 78 degrees.
"Some people just panic and say that's too hot but you can set it at 78 and run every ceiling fan or box fan you have in the house. Those are small wattage appliances and it doesn't cost as much to run them," McCloud said.
Making sure air filters are changed as needed can have an impact because air conditioning units have to work harder if the filter is dirty.
Water usage also goes up during summer months for several reasons.
"We do see an increase in water use at this time of year," said Pam White, administrative coordinator for Texarkana Water Utilities.
At the beginning of June, TWU was pumping 11 million to 13 million gallons a day from Wright Patman Lake and Millwood. By the end of July that number jumped to 18 million gallons a day or more.
"In the last few days we've actually seen as high as 22 million gallons," White said. "We attribute the increase to irrigation. People irrigate flower beds and lawns."
People also use more water washing clothes, taking showers and drinking water at this time of year.
"This will continue through the summer as long as we see these temperatures and don't have any rain fall," White said.
People can conserve and save on their water bills by following a couple of recommendations including watering lawns or gardens at night, making sure sprinklers are in good working order and letting their grass remain a little taller in hot weather.
"It'll keep more moisture in the grass and it'll keep it green. If you cut it too low, it will just crisp up," White said.
Using mulch in flower beds is also helpful because it will keep moisture in longer.