We lived through the hottest summer on record. Temperatures soared into the high nineties in early April with humidity that was positively stifling. The situation gave us no choice but to run the A/C constantly. In our part of the country, we don’t usually have long, uncomfortable summers. I am agreeable to running the central cooling unit for only two months, and in that it doesn’t even work hard. This past year, it’s been going and going for months without a break and there’s no end in sight for the heat. I expected the usual cooling down, but the heat stayed strong. Monthly electric bills cost a fortune. I worried about the unit needing repairs. I called heating A/C businesses to schedule preventive maintenance, however they were all booked. Changing filters helped. I was scared that without an air conditioner, my family would suffer. Without an air conditioner, moisture would collect and mold would grow; a health hazard complication. I could hear the A/C battling the excess humidity. I considered investing in a whole-house dehumidifier, however was not wanting to spend the money on something I’d rarely use. My fear was dry air in the winter from the gas furnace; that and the cost of natural gas. I’d easily get more use from a humidifier. For the first time in my life, I looked forward to cool weather so i can shut off the A/C, open the windows and get some fresh air into the house. I worried there’d be no relief between running the A/C system and starting up the gas furnace. I didn’t want to go straight from paying immense electric bills to facing enormous natural gas bills.