JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the temperatures drop, our thermostats usually crank up.
Let’s face it, Floridians, we don’t do well with the cold!
But turning up your thermostat can raise your electric bill. According to Florida Power & Light, heating uses two to three times more energy than cooling.
Instead, you can try a few other tricks to warm up your house without emptying your wallet.
First, set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower to save 5% -- and don’t raise the thermostat by more than 2 degrees at a time because that could trigger the auxiliary heating system. FPL said that can add up to $20 per day.
Turning off your ceiling fans to save around $7 a month. You can also reverse the setting on your ceiling fan to push warmer air down.
It’s also important to seal doors and windows to keep warm air in.
Then you can use electric blankets or space heaters -- but remember to turn the heating devices off when you’re not using them. FPL energy expert Corey Booth said heaters can cost 25 cents an hour.
Leaving on heating devices is also a safety issue.
Space heater safety
The National Fire Protection Association reported that space heaters accounted for one-third of heating equipment fires.
To prevent this, keep it out of reach of children, pets and furniture.
JEA recommends customers follow these safety tips when using a space heater:
- Set up your space heater on a level surface and away from foot traffic.
- Never leave a space heater unattended.
- Never leave a space heater on overnight.
- Never place a space heater close to flammable items.
Find more tips for saving energy and reducing costs during the winter: jea.com/winter.
