NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – As temperatures begin to drop, many people brace for the cooler months ahead.
Within the cooler months, homes and businesses require additional energy for warmth and comfort. This, partnered with an increase in consumer prices, could mean additional financial hardship.
Black Hills Energy serves more than a million natural gas and electric utility customers in eight states. Nebraska Public Affairs Manager Stephanie King advises checking heating appliances and safety detectors before old-man winter takes a firm grip.
“As you turn that heat on go and check your HVAC system and make sure it is clean and free of debris and dust and change out that filter. It’s a great time of the year to just do all of those annual things as the seasons change even like changing the batteries in your smoke detector or checking your carbon monoxide detector if you have one, things like that,“ said King.
Thermostat settings will have a large impact on utility bills as well.
“Try not to run it too high and run it all the time and if you are able to get one of the pre-programmed thermostats or a smart thermostat that can also make a difference especially as you come and go throughout the day, so, that is another thing that you can do. You can also try to put the settings low enough to be comfortable for everyone in the house to not cause any arguments,“ said King.
King said that keeping spaces around large appliances tidy can not only limit fire danger but potentially save on utility costs.
“Even things like just cleaning around your refrigerator or your oven. Move them away from the wall, vacuum out any dust that is around them keep them nice and clean,” King said. “And, when you think about doing laundry maybe try to do a few loads, and if you can combine loads, and you don’t have to run everything on hot. There are several things that you can do to watch your energy use with larger appliances.“
King said that minor home repairs can also keep utility bills modest.
“Things like checking for leaks around windows and door seals. Make sure that you have good seals in good condition,” King said. “You can also do some caulking if you are a do-it-yourself and comfortable doing those things yourself. You can buy some weather stripping and put that in while making sure that your weather stripping is in good condition and good and not cracked and old. There are a lot of tips available if folks are comfortable doing those things around their homes,“ concluded King.
Additional energy-saving tips can be found here.
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