JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As temperatures continue to drop, many people will be turning on the heat? and JEA is releasing some efficient ways to reduce power consumption.
Jerry McInarnay is an energy efficiency analyst for JEA. He said the first way you can lower your bill is by setting your thermostat to 68 degrees.
"A couple things we can do -- gradually heat the home. We can bump the thermostat up 1 to 2 degrees," said McInarnay. "If we crank it up more than 2 degrees it's not uncommon for the auxiliary heat to engage."
McInarnay said every degree above 68 will add 5 percent to the heating portion of an electricity bill -- sometimes tripling the cost.
People with a fireplace should make sure the chimney flues are closed. McInarnay said JEA finds many houses with them open.
"(It's) like having a window open in the home and you wouldn't want to have a window open. This is just an area where you would lose heat and energy through (a) chimney," said McInarnay.
Making sure there aren't any bad seals on windows is another thing to check. McInarnay recommends replacing weather stripping if necessary.
"Once again we're trying to keep this home as sealed up as much as possible," said McInarnay. "That's going to help save energy."