Take time to prepare your home for the cold weather. By reducing your energy usage, you can keep your bills lower and take steps to a more energy-efficient lifestyle. Here are some simple ways to be more mindful of your energy usage provided by Black Hills Energy (the city’s natural gas utility provider).
- When you are home and awake, set the thermostat as low as is comfortable on cold days. A smart or programmable thermostat can make it easy to set back your temperature.
- If you have a heat pump, maintain a moderate setting or use a programmable thermostat specially designed for use with heat pumps.
- Run complete loads of laundry and dishes to avoid using more hot water and energy than necessary.
- Skip the drying cycle on your dishwasher. Instead, prop the door open once dishes are washed and allow them to air dry.
- Use weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows to seal any holes or gaps, reducing energy waste.
- Turn down your hot water heater to 120 degrees and ensure the water heater is insulated properly. Water heaters are the second largest energy user in a house, accounting for about 18% of an energy bill.
