You may remember the bitterly cold weather we experienced in mid-January and in Doug Elliott's article, he shared how well KEC’s electric system performed during this time. When record-setting cold temperatures hit the area, most of us stay indoors and look for ways to stay warm and that can drive up electric use resulting in higher bills.
Why Cold Weather Affects Electric Bills
Space heating and water heating are the two biggest drivers of energy use in most households, accounting for over 50% of a home’s energy use during the winter months. When temperatures go down in the winter, heating needs go up. Even if a thermostat is kept at the same temperature inside, the home’s heat pump or furnace works harder when it gets colder outside.
How January’s Bitter Cold Might Affect Your Electric Bill
Recently, KEC staff conducted an analysis to estimate how the cold snap in January might affect our members’ bills. We reviewed two typical homes within our service area, one which is heated by electricity and the other heated with natural gas. The analysis compared the typical consumption of these two homes over a nine-day span of time. The first of these time frames includes the January cold front our region experienced. The second reflects an identical span of time with typical winter temperatures.
For a typical home heated with electricity, the cost of the additional electricity used was $41.62 (or 96%) higher than normal for those nine days only. For a typical home heated with natural gas (or other non-electric sources like propane or wood) the cost of electricity was $8.97 (or 45%) higher than normal. *Note: those homes will also experience an increased cost of heating fuel not reflected in the costs below.
**The costs above are for a 9 day span of time. Thus, while consumption for those who heat with electricity were up 96% over that time span, overall monthly electric use should be less than this if the weather during the rest of the month is more typical.
Use SmartHub to Track Your Electric Use
Sign in to SmartHub where you can track your monthly, daily and even hourly energy use and compare it to the outside temperature. Using SmartHub is a great way to learn more about your home’s energy use patterns and evaluate how weather affects your bill. Sign up for SmartHub by visiting www.kec.com/manage-your-account.
We understand that managing increased utility bills can be challenging, especially during the colder months. Please feel free to reach out to our member service team at 208.765.1200 or kec@kec.com if you have any questions or require assistance in understanding your bill or exploring payment options.