It's a frigid fact that you use more energy in cold weather, and there are many reasons why. First, we all tend to spend more time in our homes in the winter months, which means more electricity is used for more hours than in the summer months. There are also more hours of darkness in the winter, so we're using more electricity to light our homes. And the more obvious reason, your heating system works much harder to keep your home comfortable in cold weather. Even if you don't change your thermostat setting, it runs longer to heat your home.
Northeastern REMC put together some tips to help you reduce the amount of electricity you use during these cold months:
- Reverse your ceiling fans. Changing your ceiling fan to move in a clockwise direction and setting it to a lower speed can make the room feel warmer. Doing this pushes warm air from the ceiling to the floor.
- Keep your garage door closed to keep cold air away from your interior walls.
- Set a thermostat schedule to help manage the cost of heating your home. You can have your thermostat set to lower the temperature while your family is away during the day, but have the temperature raised again before you get home.
- Inspect and replace your furnace filters regularly. A dirty or clogged filter will make your furnace run harder than it needs to.
- Caulk and weatherstrip around all windows and doors to prevent heat loss. A third of the typical home's heat loss occurs through windows and doors.
- Closing the curtains at night in a warm room will help reduce heat loss, especially if curtains are hung close to the window. However, when the sun is shining, be sure to open the curtains and let the sun help heat up your room.
If you are concerned about your electric bill, contact us to learn about programs and services that can help you save energy the next time the weather gets cold (or hot).