When winter weather brings colder temperatures, particularly the extreme cold we have experienced recently, members typically notice an increase in their electric use even if their energy habits have remained the same. So, why do electric bills go up during the colder months? The answer is pretty simple: when it gets really cold outside, we tend to use more electricity to keep our homes warm and cozy. Keep in mind that the larger the gap between the outdoor temperature and your thermostat setting, the harder your heating system has to work to keep things comfortable inside. This extra effort will lead to a higher electric bill.
Let’s take a look at an example:
If it's 25 outside and your thermostat is set to 70, your system has to heat your home by 45 degrees. If it's 45 outside, it only has to heat your home by 25 degrees - a big difference!
If your home uses a heat pump, which is common in our area, its efficiency declines when temperatures drop below 40 degrees. To maintain your desired indoor temperature, the heat pump frequently has to use a secondary source known as an auxiliary heat strip. This auxiliary heat, often referred to as emergency heat, consumes three times more electricity than the heat pump itself.
Here are a few tips that may help manage your energy usage during colder months:
- Set your thermostat at a lower temperature while you're home and lower it even more while you're away or sleeping. When you are home, try adding a few layers of warm clothing or grabbing a blanket and lowering your thermostat.
- Space heaters consume a significant amount of electricity, so make sure you are using them wisely. Only use space heaters in the rooms you are occupying. Do not try to heat your entire home with a space heater.
- Sign up for Levelized Billing. With this program, your monthly bill is calculated based on a rolling average of your electricity usage for the current month and the previous 11 months. This way, your payments remain stable, eliminating large fluctuations. Plus, there is no settle-up month, so you can enjoy predictable bills all year long.
- Sign up for text notifications and receive daily usage alerts. Don’t wait until your bill arrives. Start monitoring and managing your energy consumption today.
- Sign up for our Home Energy Advisor Tool and discover how you can achieve significant energy and cost savings.
We encourage you to reach out to us anytime you have questions or concerns regarding your monthly bill or your energy consumption. Our member services department is here to help you understand your charges and provide insights into your energy usage.