It looks like these cold temperatures aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, so it’s important to make sure your home and your operation are as energy efficient as possible.  Tom Gaunt with Pacific Power said there are a few things you can do to keep your electric bill under control.  He suggests caulking around doors and windows to seal off any leaks.

 

“You know where the cold wind comes from and you say ‘gee, I’ve got a door that faces that cold wind.’ You can go to the store, and they have these nice little things for the bottoms of doors, obviously makeshift towels or an old rug or something to kind of keep that cold air from coming in.”

 

Gaunt added clean or replace furnace filters and make sure registers and intake vents are clear of furniture, so air can move freely.  And he suggests setting your thermostat at 68 and don’t bump it up when the weather gets colder, it won’t make your house warm up any faster.  Gaunt said it’s best to avoid using space heaters all the time.

 

“If you have a 1500-watt portable heater running eight hours a day every day, you’re looking at about $30 a month on the bill, right there.  Those appliances have their place and we operate them safely and sparingly, it’s fine. But just to say, ‘I’m going to heat the garage all winter using that,’ it’s going to be costly.”

 

By the way, Energy Trust of Oregon offers energy efficiency consultations if you need help finding other ways to save on your power bill.  Visit Energy Trust of Oregon's Website for addition information.

 

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-9791, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com 

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