Last month’s brutal cold took a toll on families across the region. Many are reporting a significant spike in their monthly electric bills.
While this is certainly challenging for those families who are living on a fixed income, the simple fact of the matter is that we used more electricity in January to keep our homes warm. It is important to remember that electric bills are based on usage and unusually high bills are frequently because of cold weather usage.
Last winter was extremely mild, but this winter has been much colder. During the month of January there were at least 13 days when the high temperature of the day did not get above 35 degrees. When that happens, your heating unit is having to work a lot harder. Many times it’s running on auxiliary heart which uses more energy and that increased energy use has a big impact on your bills.
TVA on January 5, with highs in the single digits across East Tennessee, reached its highest power demand since 2015, at more than 30,000 megawatts. The utility also set a holiday record on New Year’s Day by reaching 28,891 megawatts. During the first five days of January, TVA reported supplying over 600 gigawatt-hours of energy for that period marking a tie for the second longest steak in TVA history.
With temperatures falling into the 20s and even the teens and single digits in January, the Elizabethton Electric Department said usage among customers spiked exponentially. Electric bills were up anywhere from 36 to 58 percent compared to December’s. Gas bills were also up.
If your January bill is much more than you can handle, ask about setting up budget billing, where you spread your payments over the entire year. This is the most common, and effective solution, for those faced with high electric bills during the winter months.
Additionally, there are a number of resources available to help customers with utility bills, including the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, available through the Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency, Inc. Locally, the funds are administered through the Neighborhood Service Center. Area human services agencies, including the Salvation Army in Johnson City, is able, in certain instances, to help with electric bills. Also, the Assistance and Resource Ministries, although it does have limited funding, can provide help with heating and utility bills.
Also, the Tennessee Valley Authority recommends taking simple steps to reduce your energy use. Among them are: Seal air leaks, replace air filters regularly, and open curtains on sunny days. Also, set your thermostat at 68 degrees or lower: For each degree you drop that setting, you could save between 1 and 3 percent on your energy bill.
Do not shut heat off. Shutting your heat off will only force your system to work harder when temperatures drop again.
What we endured in January was tough on everyone, including our wallets. But it is important to remember that winter is still far from over. We can still expect more cold days ahead, but with hope we won’t see another prolonged deep freeze this winter.