It only takes a short time outside to realize that the temperatures are hot in southwest Georgia. With the heat continuing to rise, many utility customers may be nudging their thermostat down a bit, which can cause higher than normal utility bills. The City of Thomasville encourages its customers to be sure to use energy efficient means to help lessen the impact of increased utility bills that may occur during the warm summer months.
“When it is hot outside, we know our customers can sometimes have higher usage than normal, which can cause their utility bills to also be higher,” said Chelsie Cosby, City of Thomasville’s Customer Experience Liaison. “We have several programs that can help our customers save money over the summer months and many are very easy and inexpensive to implement.”
City of Thomasville Utilities offers two free services to help increase the energy efficiency within your home, the Home Energy Calculator and in-home energy audits. “The Home Energy Calculator is available on our website, Thomasville.org. It is a way for customers to become more informed on easy, low or no cost changes they can make within their home to reduce their electric consumption and save on their bottom line,” Cosby said. “The Home Energy Calculator provides residential customers with a complete analysis of their energy use based on simple information they provide.”
Customers who are interested in an even more personalized, hands-on analysis of their utility consumption may benefit from an in-home energy audit. “An in-home energy audit takes a closer look at your home’s energy efficiency, including the HVAC unit, insulation, and numerous other factors that can affect energy utilization. Once the audit is complete, a detailed analysis and possible solutions are provided,” said Cosby.
Even without a formal energy audit of your home, there are many ways to incorporate small changes to assist with lowering your energy consumption. Such small changes can yield big savings overall, and include:
- Setting your thermostat between 76 – 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re home during cooling season.
- When you’re away from home, turn your thermostat 5 – 10 degrees higher than when you’re home. Otherwise, you’re using precious energy to cool a home no one is in. Save that money for comfort when you are home!
- Utilize fans when possible. Keeping the air moving is key to greater comfort in hot weather, and an electric fan is much less expensive to run than an air conditioner.
- If a room is not in use, close the air supply register in that room and keep the door closed. There’s no need to use extra energy cooling a room that no one is utilizing.
- Keep blinds closed and curtains drawn when it’s sunny out. The rays from the sun can bring extra heat to your home.
- Ensure your filters are cleaned or replaced often, typically every 1-3 months, as recommended by the manufacturer. A clogged or dirty filter will cause a unit to run longer than it needs to.
- Clear any obstructions. This means keeping furniture, drapes, toys, and any other items away from air registers. When a register is covered, it can’t release air throughout a room in an efficient way.
- Check for leaks or cracks around windows or doors. If you can feel warm air coming in, you may want to consider re-sealing or caulking those areas.
If you’d like to learn more about becoming more energy efficient, please call the City of Thomasville’s Customer Care department at 229-227-7001.