When cold temperatures set in for winter, electricity use can creep up. Customers who heat with electricity in particular can see large jumps in their usage when outside temperatures drop below 32 degrees. That is because the colder it is outside, the more energy it takes to keep your home warm inside. When temperatures drop further down to single digits, home heating systems run longer and work harder, using more energy in the process. The possibility of higher electric bills is real, so it is important to take steps to conserve energy this winter.
Heating and cooling systems make up approximately 48 percent of a Kentucky Power customer’s bill. The good news is rates have stabilized and are below the national average. Controlling your usage can help lower your bill.
In addition, it is normal for the number of days in each billing cycle to change from month to month. More days per cycle will cause your bill to be higher. You can see the number of days in your billing cycle on the front page of your bill. Only in rare circumstances do we estimate bills. We read meters 99 percent of the time.
Customers who receive a larger bill than expected and would like to set up a payment plan should contact Kentucky Power’s Customer Operations Center at 1-800-572-1113. We can work with qualifying customers to set up a personalized payment plan.
In addition, some customers with limited incomes may qualify for heating assistance with our HEART and THAW programs. Contact your local Community Action Kentucky agency to see if you may qualify. Agencies are listed at KentuckyPower.com.
Going forward, there are several simple steps that can help you manage your electricity usage and your bill:
- Check your electric bill for graphs that compare last year's monthly usage to this year's, plus the average daily cost and average temperature. Meter-reading schedules can vary from 28 to 35 days, so the average daily cost graph is a more useful comparison than the overall bill amount. If the kilowatt-hour (kWh) usage is more than 25 to 30 percent higher than last year's, or if you have questions, call us at 1-800-572-1113.
- Sign up for the Average Monthly Payment (AMP) plan, which evens out your payments through the year to account for seasonal spikes in usage caused by heating and cooling. Bills adjust on a 12-month rolling average and change only slightly each month. Again, a customer service representative can provide more information on an AMP plan.
- Air leaks, lack of insulation and lack of heating system maintenance are three major areas in a home that contribute to wasted electricity. Consider addressing these three areas to help lower your energy usage. Loose or broken ductwork can account for up to 35 percent of home’s energy loss.
- Decrease thermostat settings to the lowest comfortable level, if health permits, and maintain a consistent temperature. The EPA recommends a winter thermostat setting of 68 degrees. A programmable thermostat can help heat pump customers gradually change settings to limit use of the costly auxiliary heating mode.
- Keep vampire electronics, such as TVs, computers and other gadgets under control. The EPA estimates vampire electronic gadgets burn through more than 100 billion kilowatt hours of electricity nationwide each year. That is about $10 billion worth of energy.
Other energy savings ideas are available on our website at https://kentuckypower.com/save/residential/learn/Heating.aspx.