Collective efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus mean people are spending more time at home– which means residential electricity bills will likely be higher.
NorthWestern Energy recommends these energy saving tips:
- Turn off lights when you leave a room, or open window shades rather than turning on lights.
- Turn down your thermostat a couple degrees, and wear a sweater at home.
- Limit screen time and turn off electronics when not in use.
- Activate sleep mode when you’re away from your computer.
- Check your hot water heater’s temperature to make sure it’s safe and efficient — 120 degrees is plenty.
- Check your refrigerator and freezer temperatures to make sure the refrigerator is set between 37 and 40 degrees F and your freezer temperature is between 0 and 5 degrees F.
- Check your heating equipment to make sure it is working properly and clean or replace the furnace filters.
- Inspect your windows and doors for air leaks. If you see daylight around a door or window frame, then the door or window leaks. Seal up the leaks by caulking, adding weather stripping, or installing a door sweep.
- Wrap your hot water tank and install pipe insulation on the first 10 feet of the hot water pipe.
- Install low-flow faucet aerators and showerheads.
- Replace incandescent light bulbs that are used more than three hours a day with energy-efficient CFLs or LEDs.
