5 Ways to Save During Winter
Wow! It’s February already, and if you’re like me, you can’t help but remember the “big freeze” of February 2021. Thankfully, weather forecasters are not calling for anything drastic like that at this point. In fact, as I’m writing this, it is a beautiful day in the mid-80s. However, we could have another cold snap or two before spring arrives. With this in mind, here are a few things to consider to keep your home as comfortable as possible during our decidedly unpredictable winter months:
- Mind the thermostat. If you have a traditional heating and cooling system, set the thermostat to 68° or lower. Consider a smart or programmable thermostat for additional savings.
- Get cozy. Add layers of clothing for additional warmth, and snuggle up under your favorite heavyweight blanked.
- Don’t block the heat. If your air vents or heating elements (like radiators) are blocked by furniture or rugs, your home isn’t being adequately heated.
- Take advantage of sunlight. Open window coverings during the day to let natural sunlight in to warm your home. Close them at night to block the chilly night air.
- Block air leaks. Seal windows and exterior doors with caulk and weather stripping to improve indoor comfort and decrease the amount of energy used to heat your home.
In December, we were closely monitoring the grid, as a cold blast made its way to into our service territory. Rio Grande did have some outages, caused mostly by the high winds, but there were not rotating outages. We actually fared much better than many other portions of Texas, in that regard.
While there were not rotating outages, any time there is high demand and scarce resources, the pricing structure will increase. The best thing you can do to keep a handle on energy bills, regardless of the time of year, is to weatherize your home. Tracking your usage using SmartHub will help you identify when the most energy is being used, and is a good tool to utilize in the quest for overall energy conservation. With that said, I’m happy to say that the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) portion of your bill decreased for the second consecutive month, with both the December and January billing periods appearing as a credit on Co-op members’ bills. This tells us we are doing something right in holding down your cost of energy.