Tips to Prep For Cold Weather And Keep Utility Bill Low

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – With a cold front moving through Middle Georgia next week, it’s never too early to prep for the upcoming winter season. There are several energy saving tips you can do to keep warm without burning a hole in your wallet.

“There’s no way around it.”

Irene Harmon is talking about her utility bill. During the fall, she says it stays pretty low. But with winter on the way, she says she’s expecting to shovel out hundreds of dollars to pay the bill.

“Whenever it goes from nice, warm weather like this to cold we look to about 235 to 280 dollar jump in our bill,” Harmon said.

With a cold front coming through, Middle Georgia will see temperatures as low as the 30s. Helen Stembridge with SCANNA Energy says there are several energy saving tips you can do in your home to keep warm and not burn a hole in your wallet.

“You can do some weather stripping around doors and windows. That’s usually a good thing,” Stembridge said. “You want to determine where cold air can leak into your home and try to seal those areas off.”

Stembridge also suggests you set your thermostat to 68 degrees during the colder months. If you start to feel cold, says says don’t bump it up. Instead, put on a jacket to stay warm.

“You need to remember, every time you raise that thermostat, it does add to your heating cost,” Stembridge said.

That also goes for homes that use electricity. Jimmy Autry with Flint Energies says it is a simple solution: one degree, two percent of your bill.

“The lower you can keep your thermostat, the better off you’re going to be,” Autry said. “You want to be comfortable but the more you turn it up, the more it’s going to cost you.”

Some other helpful energy tips include opening your curtains to let the sun heat your home during the day. Also, be sure to change your filter once a month and keep your ceiling fans on to circulate the warm air throughout your home.