You may be surprised to learn that setting your heating unit at 68 degrees may not be enough to avoid high bills in the winter.
Most homes built within the past 30 to 40 years in our area have heat pumps. But when winter temperatures drop to extremes, your heat pump needs a little help to keep your home warm and that’s when your electric meter starts spinning faster.
Heat pumps have Emergency and/or Auxiliary settings. When your thermostat indicates your heat pump is using Emergency or Auxiliary power, it has turned on electric heat strips within the unit. These strips warm the air inside your home when the heat pump alone can’t. They also use A LOT more energy.
What you can do
First, get to know your thermostat. Find out where the indicators are for Emergency/Auxiliary heat. When those indicators come on, you know you are using more energy.
Examples:
Then take action by considering the following:
• Lower the setting on your thermostat.
When you go to bed at night or go off for the day, lower your thermostat five degrees. You’ll save money even when you take into account the energy used to heat your home back up when you come back home. Be careful to only increase your temperature setting one degree at a time when you return so that the heat strips are less likely to come on and steal your savings away!
• If you are cold natured, add a space heater.
Space heaters use less electricity than your heat pump however only if you turn down the thermostat and only have the space heater on when you are in the room. Note: Space heaters can greatly reduce your heating bill but are dangerous if you do not properly operate and maintain them according to the manufacturer’s instruction, so please use due care.
• Add a layer.
Wearing a sweater around the house could keep you comfortable at home and with your energy costs at the end of the month.
• Blanket your water heater.
Put an insulation blanket around your water heater if it is located outside in a garage or on a porch. It will help prevent heat loss and make it easier to maintain water temperature without excess energy use. To determine if it needs a blanket, simply put your hand on the side of the tank. If you can feel the hot water inside, your heater needs a blanket.
• Seal your home.
Caulking and weather-stripping windows and doors is a relatively easy and low-cost step to keeping your home warmer in the winter.
Check all locations where plumbing and electrical come into your home and seal any gaps you find.
For additional information on heat pump heat strip management, get our fact sheet by clicking here.
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