Cold temperatures and short days make winter one of the most energy-intensive times of year.
Idaho Power’s Jordan Rodriguez has a few suggestions to avoid any huge power bills that could sneak up in the winter.
“Weatherization is a great way to maximize your efficiency and make sure that that warm air is staying in your house and the cold air is staying out,” Rodriguez said.
That means sealing your windows and doors and making sure your home is well insulated.
Switching to LED bulbs could also reduce energy use up to 75%. Rodriguez says that’s important for colorful decorative lights too.
“Another big thing with those holiday decorations is using timers so they’re not necessarily on all night long or they’re not staying on in the daytime when people can’t really see them anyway,” he said.
But one of the best things you can do? Rodriguez says that keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees is a good balance between energy efficiency and comfort for most folks.
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