Are OBX residents finding their utility bills are higher than normal? This could be why….
The Outer Banks experienced record low temperatures in January of 2018 as well as a few snow storms. Since this was the case, we all used more electricity than usual to keep our homes warm and that kept our pipes from freezing. Many of our clients and customers are seeing high water bills too from keeping their pipes dripping during these freezing conditions.
According to Dominion Power:
• when the temperatures drop, energy used to heat homes goes up 42% than in normal weather (more than extreme cold.)
• Shorter Days (fewer daylight hours) means more lighting needed indoors. Lighting accounts for 20% of your energy use.
Thankfully both Dominion Power and our local Water Departments offer payment options to help ease the burden of these large bills that are double and/or triple of what they normally are. Dominion Power has some valuable free tools available on their website to help you calculate Energy Savings; Lower My Bill Guide; Energy Savings Tips; Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Programs. You can find information on these programs by visiting Dominion’s website. Once there, select Home & Small Business; then Ways to Save.