LUCEDALE - It's definitely been one of the coldest Januarys in recent years and it looks like February will be more of the same. Electric usage was up 12 percent in January from December. The recent blast of cold air will most assuredly raise most of our electricity bills for February and possibly March (...remember you are billed each month according to the past month's usage).
      As you may know, approximately 45 percent of your electrical bill is attributed to heating and cooling. Take steps to decrease electricity usage while maintaining your family's comfort by installing a programmable thermostat.
      Don't just install it, however, and continue to set the temperature and press the "hold' button. If your thermostat is set on one setting all day long, then the heater is running the same amount of time if you are at home or not. Why should you keep your house at a cozy 68 or 70 degrees when you’re not even there to enjoy it? Program your thermostat to lower your normal setting 4 or 5 degrees when you leave your house. DO NOT turn the unit off, just down. This will lower the overall run time of the heater, thereby lowering your overall electrical usage and your bill.

     Additional tips and helpful information can be found in the Energy Savings button to the left and the Home Energy Calculators to the right. Just click and save!