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Company offers tools, information to track daily energy use, bill reduction
CHARLOTTE, NC – When the weather gets cold, you increase your home’s thermostat to be comfortable. And even if you don’t, the sharp drop in external temperature makes your heating system work harder to maintain the thermostat setting.
When you receive your electricity bill a month later, the amount owed seems much higher than you think it should be. And you ask yourself, “How did this happen?”
“Customers who do not change their thermostat configuration may think that their energy usage does not change, when in fact, their energy usage varies depending on a variety of factors, including outdoor temperature,” said Barbara Higgins, vice Duke Energy senior president and director of customer service. “We may not remember these variations in energy use, because we pay for energy long after using it.”
Fortunately, Duke Energy provides customers with the resources they need to accurately compare energy usage from time to time.
“Instead of comparing dollar values, it is more necessary to compare the average kilowatt-hour usage per month month by month,” said Higgins. “Once you understand how much energy you used, you can start looking for some of the reasons why your use has increased or decreased.”
For example, many customers are now working from home during the pandemic. The use of extra energy can come from more cooking, more laundry, more electronics while working at home. Keeping children at home all day can also increase your monthly energy usage without you realizing it.
An important reason for the increase in energy use in winter, of course, is the cold temperatures. “If you set the thermostat to 70 degrees and the outside temperature is 50 degrees, it won’t take much energy to make up for that 20 degree difference,” said Higgins. “But if the outside temperature drops to 30 degrees and your thermostat stays at 70 degrees, your heating system will have to run longer and longer to make up for a 40 degree difference. And that means higher energy bills. “
The number of days in a customer’s billing cycle also varies. This is normal and occurs throughout the year. A given billing cycle can include several additional days compared to the previous cycle. A longer billing cycle will cause more kilowatt hours to appear on the invoice.
Energy saving tips
So, how do you control energy use? Here are seven ideas:
- Lower the thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting. If you have a heat pump, maintain a moderate setting or use a programmable thermostat designed specifically for use with heat pumps.
- Leave the curtains or blinds open during sunny winter days to allow the sun to warm the house. Close them at night to help insulate your home.
- The heating and air conditioning system must be checked regularly to maintain performance. Duke Energy offers discounts to qualified customers to help offset the cost of replacing older HVAC units with more energy efficient ones.
- Replace standard incandescent bulbs with light-emitting diodes (LED). LEDs are more efficient and emit the same amount of light.
- Operate the ceiling fans clockwise, which pushes hot air back into the room.
- Change the air filters regularly. A dirty air filter makes the heating system work more, which uses more energy.
- Set your water heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees to help you lower your monthly water heating bills.
Track your usage
The best way to track and understand your usage almost in real time is to register your Duke Energy account online. Once registered, you can access previous accounts – up to 24 months – and see your energy consumption per week, day and hour. Click on “Menu”, “My usage and savings” and then on “Energy usage”.
Customers can also view usage information in the Duke Energy app, available in the app and Google Play stores.
Usage alerts
Duke Energy customers can also control electricity usage and the monthly budget with Usage Alerts. Customers with a smart meter and an email address registered to their account will automatically receive an email halfway through their billing cycle. The email will include the current electrical cost and a projection of what the final monthly electrical cost might be. Customers also have the option of receiving alerts in the middle of the cycle by text message.
Customers can also set up budget alerts to help keep their account in check. They will be informed when their electricity cost is expected to reach a specific value of their choice, allowing them to correct the course and reduce usage if they wish.
The B roller with energy efficiency measures and tips is available here.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company based in Charlotte, NC, is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. It employs 30,000 people and has a power generation capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its unregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.
Duke Energy is transforming its customers’ experience, modernizing the power grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding the natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. Electric Utilities and Infrastructure regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electricity consumers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and micro-grid projects.
Duke Energy was nominated for Fortune’s 2020 “Most Admired Companies in the World” list and Forbes’ 2019 list of “Best Employers in America”. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains press releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy lighting features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media contact: 800.559.3853