Energy tips with the onset of cooler weather

THOMASVILLE – As winter arrives and cooler temperatures head our way, most residential customers will experience increases in energy usage that can translate into higher utility bills. With this in mind, the city of Thomasville encourages customers to implement easy and affordable ways to save on their energy usage now that will pay off later.

“The arrival of colder weather does not mean that customers do not have options at their disposal to save on their energy bills,” city Energy Services Advisor Stephan Thompson said. “We encourage our customers to take advantage of the milder weather now to implement easy and affordable energy efficiency tips that can help them save money in the coming months.”

Thompson said that many of these tips have little or no cost to implement.

“Now is the time to prepare your home so that higher energy usage has a smaller impact on your monthly utility bill,” he said.

Some helpful tips for the cooler winter months include:

♦ Set heating thermostat between 66-68 degrees. If away from home, set it lower, or turn it off completely. Customers can save 6-8% on their utility bills for every degree they lower their heating unit.

♦ Install a programmable thermostat to save up to 10% on heating costs. The average cost of a programmable thermostat is less than $25.

♦ Turn off lights, appliances and electronics when they are not in use. A power strip can help turn off multiple items at once.

♦ Close warm air supply registers for rooms that aren’t in use.

♦ Check windows and doors for air leaks. Caulking or weather-stripping on doors and windows can help seal air leaks and prevent cold air from coming inside.

♦ Clean/change heating/air conditioning system(s) filters regularly.

♦ Take advantage of heat from the sun by opening shades and drapes for sun-facing windows to let the sun help heat the home. Close these at night or during overcast days to help insulate the home from the cold.

♦ Dress in warmer clothes and use additional layers to help insulate and keep in body heat. Adding extra blankets to beds at night can also help keep warm.

♦ Cover drafts when possible. An easy and inexpensive way to cover windows is with heavy-duty clear plastic sheets on the window frame. Just make sure the plastic is tightly sealed to the frame.

♦ Reduce heat loss from the fireplace. Make sure the damper is closed unless a fire is burning. Otherwise, warm air can escape through the chimney. Those who don’t use their fireplace at all should plug and seal the chimney flue.

♦ Switch to new and improved LED light bulbs. LEDs use 90 percent less energy than standard bulbs, saving more than $80 in electricity costs per bulb over its lifetime. And LED bulbs can last up to 15 times longer than standard bulbs.

♦ Fix leaking toilets and sinks. The average dripping faucet can cost $22 per month while the average leaking toilet can cost almost $45 per month.

Thompson said that aside from offering helpful energy efficiency tips, the city of Thomasville provides several other ways customers can take more control of their home energy costs.

“The Energy Resource Center, located on our Thomasville.org website, is an excellent online resource for customers who want to better understand their energy usage and look for ways to lower costs,” he said. “This helpful tool offers residential customers the ability to make use of television, appliance, and heat pump calculators that analyze their energy use based on simple information the customer provides.

“We also provide free energy audits to our customers to help them find ways to use less energy in their home and manage their usage more efficiently. Energy audits have helped some customers discover serious issues with different appliances and heating and cooling units that can cause abnormal energy consumption and high bills, in turn saving them hundreds of dollars on their bill. Proper preparation can assist customers with energy efficiency during the winter months. Very small adjustments can yield big savings in the long run.”

For more information on energy efficiency, the Energy Resource Center, or free energy audits, contact the city of Thomasville’s Customer Care Department at (229) 227-7001 or visit online at Thomasville.org.

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