RADFORD – With persistent frigid temperatures this winter, the City of Radford advises electric customers to expect the possibility of higher electric bills, due to higher usage of electricity.
The rising cost of electricity has also impacted bills over the last several years. The Wholesale Power Cost of electricity is passed onto the customer and has increased three times since 2023. The rate change in July of 2024 had an average impact of 25% for all customers.
When outside temperatures get extremely cold, heating systems run longer to maintain warm temperatures inside our homes and offices. When the outside temperature is 50 degrees, heating systems might only need to run a few minutes each hour to maintain the inside temperature, but when the temperature drops to near zero and below, the system runs more often and longer to maintain the indoor thermostat setting.
To improve energy efficiency in your home, follow the tips below:
Take advantage of heat from the sun
Open curtains on your south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home and close them at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
Cover drafty windows
Use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months. Make sure the plastic is sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration.
Install tight-fitting, insulating drapes or shades on windows that feel drafty after weatherizing.
Adjust the temperature
When you are home and awake, set your thermostat as low as is comfortable.
Find and seal leaks
Seal the air leaks around utility cut-through for pipes (“plumbing penetrations”), gaps around chimneys and recessed lights in insulated ceilings, and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets.
Add caulk or weather stripping to seal air leaks around leaky doors and windows.
Maintain your heating systems
Schedule service for your heating system.
Furnaces: Replace your furnace filter once a month or as needed.
Wood- and Pellet-Burning Heaters: Clean the flue vent regularly and clean the inside of the appliance with a wire brush periodically to ensure that your home is heated efficiently.
Reduce heat loss from the fireplace
Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning. Keeping the damper open is like keeping a window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney.
When you use the fireplace, reduce heat loss by opening dampers in the bottom of the firebox or open the nearest window slightly — approximately 1 inch — and close doors leading into the room. Lower the thermostat setting to between 50° and 55°F.
If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue.
If you do use the fireplace, install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system that blows warm air back into the room.
Check the seal on the fireplace flue damper and make it as snug as possible.
Purchase grates made of C-shaped metal tubes to draw cool room air into the fireplace and circulate warm air back into the room.
Add caulking around the fireplace hearth.
City of Radford
