By Snohomish County PUD
As temperatures rise and fall throughout the year, energy bills tend to follow as customers use more energy to heat and cool their homes. That’s because the PUD bases customers’ rates on usage.
The more you use, the higher your bill.
So, if customers want to conserve energy and lower their bill, where in their home should they focus in order to get the most bang for their buck? Here’s a look at the top 5 energy users in the home, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration:
Heating: 43% Keeping your house or apartment warm during cold weather accounts for the lion’s share of residential customers’ consumption. Electric furnaces can be 2.5 times as costly when compared to an energy efficient heat pump. Tip: Replace air filters or vacuum filters regularly to ensure your furnace or heat pump is working efficiently.
Water heating: 19% The second most significant energy hog in the home is the water heater, which can vary in homes from older models to newer hybrid models. Depending on the type, a water heater can consume around 13.5 kilowatts per day. Tip: Set your water heat temperature at 120 degrees or lower, and take showers instead of baths.
Air conditioning: 8% How much it costs to cool the home is completely dependent on the heat outside. More extreme heat events, like the one we experienced last June, can result in increased cooling costs. Tip: Turn the thermostat up to 78 degrees when you’re home and 84 degrees when you’re not. You can save 3-5% in home cooling costs for every degree you raise it.
Lighting: 5% Like heating and cooling, the amount of energy it takes to light a home changes with the season. As we move into spring and summer, it will take less energy as the sun lights up our homes later in the day. Tip: Replace any incandescent light bulbs with LEDs, which use 75% less energy.
Refrigeration: 3% An average refrigerator uses about 162 kilowatts per month. This is near-universal and year-round energy consumption. Tip: Regularly clean behind and underneath your refrigerator to maintain good airflow.
Another tip for those customers who would like to get off the roller coaster of higher bills in the fall and winter and lower bills in the spring and summer, can sign up for the PUD’s Budget Payment Plan.
Budget Payment Plan doesn’t reduce the amount you’ll play, but actually estimates and averages electricity usage over the year so that all bills are the same. At the end of the year, the PUD will calculate actual energy usage and compare it to the total amount paid. If it’s less than we’ll owe you money; if it’s more you’ll owe us a little. It’s simple and easy to sign up on the PUD’s MySnoPUD customer portal.
While you’re in MySnoPUD you can also set up auto-payment and go paperless — taking all of the work out of paying your bill.
For more information, visit snopud.com/bpp.
PUD Power Talks
Learn more about low- and no-cost conservation tips at our next Power Talks on April 7. A PUD Customer and Energy Services Program manager will walk customers through how best to make improvements to your home or apartment that can save energy and money. To learn more, visit snopud.com/powertalks.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
