Drastic temperature swings, like a polar vortex, make furnaces run longer using more electricity.
WACO, Texas (PRWEB) January 05, 2015
January brings some of the coldest weather of the winter season. The last couple of months leading into spring can cause home utility and electric bills to skyrocket. Mr. Electric has reasons why home electrical bills increase over winter.
Significant swings in temperature
Drastic temperature swings, like a polar vortex, make furnaces run longer using more electricity. During extreme drops in temperature, systems work much harder to attain the set temperature. If the outside temperature is extremely cold, the desired temperature may never be reached.
Heavy Appliances
In general, appliances see more use in the wintertime. An increase in oven use for baking, leads to higher utility bills. In addition to heavy kitchen appliances, homeowners running hot tubs can expect an increase in the utility bill. Hot tubs draw more electricity in winter because they have to run more frequently to maintain their desired temperature.
End of daylight savings time
One thing that affects the electric bill during the winter months is the end of day light savings. Because the clocks get moved back, it gets darker outside earlier in the day. Because it can be dark so early, homeowners tend to use more electricity due to having lights on for longer periods of time.
Space heaters and electric blankets
With a drop in temperature, especially if it is a polar vortex, heating systems may have a hard time reaching the desired home temperature, so homeowners use space heaters and electric blankets to compensate for the cold weather. Using these additional heat sources increases the amount of electricity consumed, raising the electric bill.
By recognizing what causes an increase in wintertime utility bills, homeowners will be able to adjust how they consume electricity in the home during these cold days.
To learn more about reducing the utility bill in winter, visit mr.electric.com.