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The company offers tools, information to monitor daily energy use, lower bills.
CINCINNATI – As an arctic winter wave hits the tri-state, Duke Energy teams are ready in case cold temperatures impact the company’s energy system.
Duke Energy has a detailed plan to manage the power grid in extreme conditions. The extremely low temperatures put greater stress on the equipment used to generate and deliver electricity to customers.
Although Duke Energy currently does not anticipate problems in meeting its customers’ energy needs, the company is prepared to respond to any system problems, customer interruptions or equipment problems that may occur.
Below are some tips to help customers stay warm.
Winter energy saving tips
- 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.
- Open the cabinets and open the tap to drip to avoid frozen pipes.
Caring for others
- It is always a good idea to be prepared for a power outage. Make plans now to move family members – especially those with special needs – to safe and alternative locations in the event of a prolonged outage.
- Check elderly neighbors to make sure they are safe and have adequate heating in their homes. The National Institute on Aging offers more information to keep the elderly safe during cold weather.
- Keep pets indoors during extremely low temperatures. Like humans, animals can suffer from hypothermia, cold ulceration and other cold injuries or die. The Humane Society offers tips for keeping your pets safe this winter.
As temperatures drop, a natural reaction would be to 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 utility 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 usage of kilowatt hours per day 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 now work from home or have children doing remote learning during the pandemic. The use of extra energy can come from more cooking, more laundry, more electronics while working at home. Having family members 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 your 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 remains 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.
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 time. 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.
Finally, consider signing up for high usage alerts and high bills here. You may also want to consider our Budget Billing Program so that you can more accurately predict your energy costs; Click here for more info.
Duke Energy Ohio / Kentucky
Duke Energy Ohio / Kentucky, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electrical service to approximately 860,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000 square mile service area and natural gas service to approximately 538,000 customers.
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. Regulated utilities at the Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit serve approximately 7.7 million 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: Sally Thelen
800.559.3853
The e-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @DE_SallyT