Cold snap could add up to $100 to customers’ utility bills
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Mid-Missourians will soon see the impact of frigid temperatures on their utility bills as heating units battle to keep homes warm.
ABC 17 Stormtrack Chief Meteorologist Jessica Hafner said Sunday's temperatures were 37 degrees colder than normal. Three Rivers Electric Cooperative said these subzero temperatures will definitely affect electric bills.
Rich Eisterhold, member services manager at Three Rivers Electric, said the average home uses about $40 of energy per week when temperatures are in the mid-30s. With temperatures this cold, they are seeing usage increase 2-3 times more than normal, which could add up to $100 when the cold snap lasts about a week.
"In general, your house inside is 70 degrees. And when it gets really cold outside, the colder it gets, the more the heating system has to work to raise the temperature to 70 degrees," Eisterhold said. "So, it has a huge impact when the temperatures are as cold as they are."
Despite this, he said there are ways people can try to conserve energy.
This includes turning the thermostat down a few degrees, keeping doors closed, using blankets and limiting the use of space heaters.
"Space heaters are a huge draw," Eisterhold said. "They run about 15 cents an hour to use. That's not much, but if you run it ten hours a day, that's $1.50 a day. Over the course of 30 days, it's about $40."
Amber Overfelt, general manager of Howard Electric Cooperative, said people can also avoid using major appliances or space heaters at the same time.
Howard Electric posted on Facebook it has issued a Peak Alert this week, asking customers to conserve energy to help keep the co-ops wholesale power costs down.
The co-op said wholesale power costs are determined by peak usage, which can increase during cold snaps. It said that can be lessened if people will conserve energy where they can.
Eisterhold said a higher wholesale for the co-op does not immediately impact customers, but, if expenses are excessive, the co-op could decide to increase rates the next year to help cover the cost.
To conserve energy, Howard Electric Cooperative asks members to limit energy usage during peak demand hours. Those hours are listed between 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Facebook post said, "Anything you can stagger usage on or run outside of the demand hours will help with the co-op's peak demand and help with the demand charge on your bill."
Overfelt said this is the first peak alert issued in about a year, and she encourages customers to continue to watch its Facebook page for more updates.
"Our goal is to always help our members save, and it's even more important in extreme events like this," Overfelt said.
Other ways to conserve energy, according to the co-ops, include:
- unplug devices that aren't being used
- postpone hot showers
- turn off lights
- wash clothes in cold water and delay dryer use
The City of Fulton, which saw natural gas prices skyrocket in early 2021 when a deep freeze gripped the country, asked residents last week to conserve natural gas to prevent a repeat scenario.
