If you are like me, this time of year tends to drag along. Even though February has the fewest days of any month, it seems it will be forever until the flowers bloom and the temperatures moderate, making it comfortable to be outside.

So far, this year has been one of extremes. In early January we had several days of temperatures in the 60’s and even 70’s, with lows only dropping to the 40’s. But then without warning, winter returned and for the most part hasn’t taken a break. Our area has experienced much colder weather for the past several weeks now.

Fortunately for our membership and our employees, we have so far escaped the heavy snowfall and ice that can damage our electrical system, resulting in significant outages for our members. However, the consistent cold temperatures are certainly capable of driving your monthly bill up. We have already had a few members call concerning the increase in their bills. Some of them found it hard to believe their bill could double or even triple within the span of one month, causing them to ask if our rates had increased. Well, our rates are still the same; it’s that the amount of kilowatt hours they had to purchase increased. The vast majority are using electricity for their main source for heating, either with an electric furnace or, more commonly, an electric heat pump.

The heat pump can be very economical as long as the temperature does not drop below freezing. As temperatures plummet into the single digits, the efficiency goes down and it becomes necessary for the auxiliary heat strips to activate. These electric strips typically consume 10 to 15 kilowatts per hour. If this happens ten hours each day for an entire month, an additional 4,000 kilowatt hours can accumulate on your meter, causing an increase in the range of $400 dollars or more. Keep in mind this is in addition to the other kilowatts used during the billing period for lights, hot water, cooking, etc.

As you can see, the cold temperatures at night tend to push the limits of the heat pump to its maximum, which in turn increase your electrical usage and thus your bill. Unfortunately, whether you use electricity, oil, or gas to heat your home, when the weather turns colder, the cost to stay warm goes up dramatically.

The good news is that hopefully spring is just around the corner…

In just over a month we have had several hundred members take advantage of our new payment options. If you would like more information on our bank draft or e-check payment options, please check our website, stop by any of our offices, or give us a call.