Heat Waves Now Last Longer, Spurring an Air-Conditioning Boom

livemint.com:

The hum of air conditioners is getting louder and more expensive in parts of the U.S. where people used to open a few windows to stay cool in summer. In the Pacific Northwest, residents are cranking up the air conditioning sooner than ever before and paying more to do it, according to data from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.

Households in the Pacific region, represented by California, Oregon, Washington and other states, are forecast to pay $499 this summer in energy bills, up from $471 last summer, according to NEADA. Americans in the Pacific Northwest are also installing more AC units, with data from the U.S. Census Bureau showing a steady increase in the number of air-conditioned households in Seattle and San Francisco, cities that are relatively unaccustomed to sweltering summers.

Longer heat waves are one factor driving the decision. Over the past 60 years, the heat-wave season in 50 major cities has increased by 49 days, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The projected rise in electricity prices, along with the cost of installing new cooling units, shows how hotter summers increase financial burden on American families already struggling to absorb higher prices into their household budgets.

Overall, inflation eased to 3% in June, but energy costs rose 0.6%, according to the latest consumer-price index from the Labor Department. Turning on AC demand In the San Francisco area, Cabrillo Plumbing, Heating & Air is on pace to install 80 to 100 heat pumps this year, said Frank Cichetti, a field supervisor with 25 years on the job. That is more than double from the year before, he said.