JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Home heating costs are expected to be up nearly 9 percent this winter, and heating expenses are expected to jump more than 10 percent, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.
The cost is expected to climb even more for people with an electric heater.
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Friday is National Cut Your Energy Costs Day— a day to encourage people to reduce their energy consumption and save money on their electricity bills.
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Local utilities have some ways to save.
Florida Power & Light Company is one of them. The electric services company has a free energy manager on its website.
It’s a free tool that shows people when, where and how a home uses energy.
FPL also has a game where people can go in and play to get quizzed on how to save energy in their homes.
FPL officials shared the following tips to save:
- Setting your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower
- If you need to turn the heat up more, it’s best to do it 2 degrees at a time and warm your home up slowly
“We have learned that heating your home can require two or three times more energy than cooling your house. So it’s definitely a bit pricer to heat your home that is why we give you these energy-saving tips about setting your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower. That can save three to five percent of your bill,” Shelly Ragsdale, FPL spokesperson, said.
Ragsdale also reminded people using a space heater or electric blankets to make sure to turn them off when they leave and keep them out of reach of pets and children.
For JEA customers, the utility company offers free efficiency assessments and other ways to save on electricity bills.
Click here to read JEA’s tips on how to save energy during the winter.
