Colder than Normal Temperatures Result in Higher Electric Usage
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Fourteen straight days of below average temperatures led to higher than normal electric use for utility customers across the area. Weather data from the National Weather Service Web site shows thirteen consecutive overnight lows at or below freezing in the Baldwin County area.
Baldwin EMC energy specialists are encouraging customers to be prepared for higher electric bills as a result of the record low temperatures. “When temperatures drop this low and stay as cold during the day as they did the first two weeks of January, we expect heating units to run almost constantly, resulting in much higher use than normal,” said Greg Gipson, energy services manager for Baldwin EMC.
Gipson explained that in many homes, central heating units ran constantly trying to maintain comfort levels inside, as temperatures seldom rose out of the thirties or forties during the day, and dipped into the lower twenties or teens during the night. Because these cold temperatures persisted for fourteen consecutive days, many customers will see that entire period of high use on one bill.
Bills for this period will reach customers between late January and late February. “By the time our customers receive their bills,” Gipson said, “the weather is likely to be much warmer. But when we look at the weather data for January, we can easily see the reason for the high usage.”
While the bitter cold weather has passed for now, energy experts at Baldwin EMC say there are many things homeowners can do to improve the efficiency of their homes and heating equipment before another spell of cold temperatures comes our way. For information and energy saving tips, visit the Energy Savings page.