Newport Library Taken off Cooling Center List

In the midst of Wednesday's continuing hot and humid weather, the City of Newport has removed Newport Public Library as one of its designated cooling centers, the Rhode Island Department of Health announced Wednesday morning.

The Florence Gray Center and Donovan Manor are the city's other cooling centers. For more information, call (401) 849-3710.

Wednesday's forecast is for sun and temps in the 90s with high humidity levels, resulting in a heat index of 100 or higher.

The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat watch, in effect through Thursday.

Scattered showers may move into the area over the next two days, with a chance of thunderstorms on Friday.

National Grid issued the following tips for saving energy in the hot weather:

• Turn off ceiling fans, close the drapes – Ceiling fans don’t actually cool your home; they only circulate air to make you feel cooler. Therefore, they are most effective when you’re home to enjoy the benefits. Turn them off when you’re not home and save energy in the process. Also, draw blinds, shades or drapes to block the sunlight during the hottest part of the day, especially on south and west-facing windows.
• Adjust the thermostat – Air conditioners cool a space at the same rate no matter what the setting. Adjusting the temperature control to 65 degrees will not help cool your home to 78 degrees any more quickly than if you leave the temperature at 78, but switching to the lower setting may be costing you more money. Also, a 75 degree setting will cost about 18 percent more than a 78 degree setting. To optimize air conditioning systems set the thermostat on your air conditioner as high as comfort will permit.
• Use programmable thermostats – Use of programmable thermostats optimizes air conditioning systems, helping to boost energy savings. National Grid offers a $25 rebate for each seven-day programmable thermostat that you install (maximum two per household).
• Change air conditioner filters – Remember to keep the air flowing freely. Check your air conditioner filters and replace or clean them if they’re clogged.
• Check refrigerator and freezer temps – The ideal refrigerator temperature is between 37 and 40 degrees. For the freezer the ideal reading is 5 degrees. It is important to keep you refrigerator full so they do not have to work as hard to stay cold. This can drastically lower the amount of energy they would ordinarily need to function properly.