By now, you’ve heard all about the coronavirus or COVID-19, a virus that made its way from China to the United States that causes upper respiratory problems, such as cough and runny nose. While most people who test positive will not need special treatment, COVID-19 can be serious and life-threatening, especially for the elderly, people with weakened immune systems, and people who have serious and chronic underlying medical conditions.
In mid-March, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency because of COVID-19, and shortly afterward, all states began to systematically shut down with the exception of essential businesses and government services.
As the days went by, governors across the country issued stay-at-home or quarantine orders, directing people to stay home except for conducting essential activities, such as getting gas, buying groceries, picking up a prescription, or traveling to one’s job because they are an “essential worker.”
Stay-At-Home Orders & Energy Usage
As a result of strict stay-at-home orders, people started to notice they were using a lot more resources and their utility bills rose accordingly. Since electric can be one of the most expensive utility bills, if not the most expensive, we thought it would be timely for us to offer some tips on saving money on your electric bill while you’re staying home during the pandemic.
- Check the seals on your windows and doors. If they’re bad, energy will seep out, wasting your money in the process.
- If you have leaky ductwork, meaning, you have leaking heating, ventilation and air conditioning ducts, get it fixed so the efficiency is improved and you save money.
- When you’re asleep or away from home, set your thermostat back by 10 to 15 degrees. This can reduce what you spend on heating and cooling by 10% annually.
- Set your freezer to 5 degrees and your fridge to 38 degrees. This will still keep your food fresh but your fridge and freezer won’t need to expend so much energy to keep their temperature consistent.
- Turn OFF the lights when you’re not in a room.
- Replace the air filters in your HVAC system to make it more efficient and save you money.
- Shut the doors to the outside while the heating or cooling system is on.
We hope you found this information helpful. For all of your electric needs around your home or business, contact Lightning Bug Electric!