Soaring temperatures have busted Xcel Energy power demand records three times in eight days.

Wilting Coloradans cranking up air-conditioners and fans and maybe even sticking their heads in the freezer were sucking down a record-smashing 6,911 megawatts of electricity at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

That vanquished the Monday record of 6,792 megawatts that broke another high mark of 6,789 megawatts set on Tuesday of last week, Xcel spokesman Tom Henley said this morning.

Until this heat wave, the prior record was 6,780 megawatts on July 21, 2005.

For the energy curious, 1 megawatt can power about 1,000 homes for a year.

With the mercury expected to hit the mid-90s again today, power demand could keep rising.

"We have plenty of capacity to be able to serve the customers' needs, but there's always ways that people can save energy, save money and still remain comfortable," Henley said.

We all know the tried-and-true heat-busters: skipping through the sprinklers and gorging on copious clumps of ice cream.

But Henley offers these professional tips:

 

Set your air-conditioning thermostat at 78 degrees during the day. When you're gone or go to sleep, turn up the AC a couple notches to, say, 80.

"That will keep the house cool — bearable — but won't be taxing your air conditioner the entire time," he said. "For every degree you turn the thermostat up, you can save 1 percent on your bill."

 

Flipping on ceiling fans or portable fans helps circulate the air and makes it feel like it's 10 percent cooler in the house. "And it can save about 10 percent on your bill," Henley said.

 

Keep your shades drawn during the day, especially on the sun-beating southern exposure.

 

Take pity on your hard-working air conditioner by swapping out its filters every 30 days — or likewise cleaning permanent filters. That saves power on the unit pushing air through the system.

 

"Just like with winter time, seal air leaks around doors and windows so you can keep the cool air in and the hot air out," Henley said.