Energy conservation tips during extreme weather
As current arctic conditions continue to impact large sections of the country, we’re closely monitoring the situation to ensure the impact on homes and businesses is minimized.
Here are some tips to keep your family warm while the demand for energy is so high:
- Adjust your thermostat. If health concerns aren’t a factor, set your thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter and reduce it 2 to 3 degrees while you’re away from home or sleeping.
- Hold off on doing chores. Doing laundry or washing dishes can use energy to heat the water and your dryer. If you can, only wash full loads using cold water, air dry your clothes, or even better, wait until the extreme cold weather passes to complete these activities.
- Check your furnace filter. Make sure it’s clean and properly installed facing the correct direction.
- Make sure your furnace vent, gas fireplace vent and tankless/conventional water heater vents are free from any obstructions or debris.
- Adjust your humidity. A well-humidified house at 68 degrees is as comfortable as a dry house at 75 degrees.
- Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans only as needed. In just one hour, these fans can exhaust a house full of warmed air.
- Reduce hot water usage. Use low-flow faucets and shower heads and take short showers instead of baths. Set the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees or put it on the “warm” setting.
We appreciate all energy conservation efforts that can be made during these periods of extreme cold. While we always work to ensure affordable, reliable energy, please be aware that higher energy demands will likely impact your energy bill. Collectively, the steps we can all take to limit our energy usage while staying safe will help keep the energy affordable. Visit blackhillsenergy.com/efficiency-and-savings for more information on how to save money and energy.
As a safety reminder, never use grills or cooking appliances to heat your home and be sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors.
For all of your energy needs, give us a call at 888-890-5554.
