Southeast Mississippi and all along the Gulf Coast has experienced record cold this week and more cold weather is expected this weekend. Cold weather outside causes you to crank up the heat inside and will increase your electricity bill. Wear extra sweaters and keep your programmable thermostat set on 68° or less while you are home and 65° or less at night or when you are away from home.
Extreme cold in the teens and twenties can cause your heater to run constantly if you set your heat to a high degree. Extreme cold can also cause increased load for Singing River Electric substations. Singing River Electric engineers and servicemen have been preassigned substations and have been monitoring peak load every morning this week. Peak loads are usually set in extreme cold weather during the week around 6- 8 a.m. when everyone gets up and starts to get ready. Should a substation load become critical, Singing River Electric employees are ready with a plan to transfer load and ensure quality, reliable service to our members.
Additional cold weather tips:
- Drain pool pump and turn off or wrap pump in blanket to prevent damage from freezing.
- Tack plastic around single pane windows to prevent cold air infiltration.
- Close fire place flue to keep warm, conditioned air inside.
- Limit use of space heaters that increase kWh usage and your electric bill.
- Remember all homes are different. If your home is older or does not have proper insulation, you may need to keep your heat at a higher temperature to stay warm and safe.
