ORLANDO, Fla. – Colder weather can often mean a higher energy bill, and this January we have had our fair share of days that really feel like winter in Florida.
Florida Power & Light says heating uses two to three times more energy than cooling. The company is sharing its top “ways to save” with customers to keep their costs low and families comfortable this season.
Our News 6 team spoke with Marcus Rodriguez, a lead energy consultant with FPL, and Joe Strada, who owns Strada Services, to get their insight on what is really best for your wallet and your heating system.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower
FPL says every degree below 68 saves you up to 5% on heating costs. Don’t forget to seal doors and windows properly to keep cold air out and warm air in.
“If 68 degrees is your desired temperature, leave it there,” Strada said. “Don’t adjust to 64 and then expect to move it up to 68 and then heat and warm your house right away. That’s not going to happen. It’s going to cost you more money, and you’re going to be uncomfortable during that process.
Strada says it’s true that the higher you set your thermostat, the harder your system is going to have to work to get to warm your home to that temperature, but he recommends not keeping your thermostat too low in the winter, either.
“It’s just so many times we see people at night lower it down to 64 or 62 and get under a blanket. That’s great. Get under a blanket, but when you wake up, to try to get that home back up to 68, it’ll take a long time and it’s not efficient to do that,” Strada said.
Avoid increasing your thermostat by more than two degrees at a time
FPL says this will prevent accidentally turning on your system’s auxiliary heating. Using auxiliary heat for more than 12 hours a day can add up to $15 per day.
“What happens is in Florida we have a lot of heat pumps. If you increase the temperature more than two degrees, the system is going to try to satisfy the thermostat. It will turn on electric heating elements,” Strada said. “When that happens, it’s the most expensive way to heat your home.”
Use electric blankets or space heaters
Using an electric blanket or space heater allows you to keep you warm in small areas. FPL says make sure to always turn them off before you leave the room and remember to keep children and pets at least three feet away.
“Electric blankets are fantastic (...) I always get very worried about space heaters. What concerns me is, you know, bad use, lack of proper use. House fires are not uncommon when it’s this cold because people are doing things outside the norm,” Strada said. “The only caveat is, make sure your home isn’t so cold because you’re trying to save some money overnight, because it will run that unit way too long and very expensive because the heating elements will come in.”
Rodriguez gave an example of just how much you could save by heating a smaller area of your home with a space heater.
“I’ll give you an example: if you use a space heater for about 12 hours, it can approximately cost you about $3 per day. While central heating could be triple that amount.” Rodriguez said. “So, you can be looking at $9 to $15 a day for central heating.”
Use natural sunlight
Opening window treatments on sunny days will let warmth in. FPL says be sure to close them at night to retain heat.
“There’s a lot to say about natural sunlight. If you have the ability to get sunlight in your home always it’s going to help warm it up (...) So, in the summertime you always try to block the sun,” Strada said. “But if you have really good shades, it could help prevent the cold from coming in. You might be better off with the shades down.”
Reverse the setting on your ceiling fan to push warmer air down
“Ceiling fans have two modes. There is a switch on the motor,” Strada said. “Now is the time when the fan is off, flip the switch over and it will turn the fan clockwise. What will happen is it will take the warm air — warm air rises — it takes the warm air up by the ceiling that we can’t feel and it’s going to push it down and it’s going to turn it out, helping bring that warmer air down.
Strada said be sure to turn the ceiling fan off when you’re done and leave the room, because that can also save you money.
He said every little bit can help.
“Your system is running at the most crucial time now, it’s maxed out, it’s in the marathon,” Strada said. “So, help it every way you can.”
Rodriguez also says FPL has an energy manager online that can help customers monitor their usage on a daily basis. It allows you to see when you use the most energy and analyzes ways to use less and save more.
[RELATED: Electric bill rising as the temperature drops? 5 tips to save money and keep warm]
Here are some helpful links to follow from some of Central Florida’s main utilities providers:
FPL: Ways to Save
Duke Energy: Home Energy Check
Orlando Utilities Commission: Home Energy Audits
SECO Energy: Energy Efficiency
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: