ROCHESTER, N.Y. — If you have one of these electric meters anchored to your house and have the air conditioning turned up, you are probably running a lot of electricity through that meter.

How much is this hot weather is really costing you?

It is difficult to answer because it comes down to which electric company you use and what temperature you set the thermostat. Typically, a household uses power for such things as a television, lights, refrigerator, and water heater. But cooling the living space is usually not too cost effective. There’s no doubt that our electrical power consumption is going up considerably this week and that is directly proportional to the temperature outside.

As a result, as the temperature goes above 90 degrees, our electrical use is probably rising exponentially.  That consumption of energy is directly proportional to the overall weather pattern and it appears this heat dome is going to continue for at least for another day or two.

Maybe you can’t afford the increased electric bill and have to look for some kind of an alternative. On a personal note, Glenn Johnson remembers growing up outside of New York City during some hottest summer seasons. He says his family never had enough money for air conditioning. But, his father used to tell him, “I will buy you a bigger fan or maybe you can take a cold shower.” This is probably not a welcome suggestion in the middle of a heat wave.