JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Monday afternoon was a great day for a walk downtown in Jacksonville, but the warm weather won’t last.
Sam Meeks, a Jacksonville resident, was among many enjoying the mild weather before temperatures are expected to drop drastically on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“The one thing about Florida, the cold can sneak up on you because you’re used to it being so warm,” Meeks said.
When asked how he deals with the cold, Meeks said, “Well, run my heat. As you can see, I’m a bald man, so I usually try to make sure to wear a cap and just stay warm. But it’s not too bad.”
Meeks also shared that he installed a smart thermostat to help keep his energy costs low.
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“It’s helped a lot with saving money on not only the air conditioning, but also the heat. Because you can control it from home, you can control it easier, you could control it when you’re away. And it cut, when I first started using it, it cut my bill in half, so I highly recommend it,” Meeks said.
Karen McAllister, public information officer for JEA, offered advice on how to stay warm while keeping energy costs low during the cold snap.
“Small changes can make a big difference,” McAllister said.
She recommended setting thermostats to 68 degrees and lowering them at night and when leaving home. She also advised raising the temperature by only one or two degrees at a time in the morning to avoid triggering heat strips, which consume more energy.
McAllister also shared important safety tips for using space heaters during cold weather.
“Never leave a space heater on overnight, and don’t leave it on unattended. So make sure somebody is in the room when the space heater is on,” she said.
Thankfully, the cold weather is expected to be brief.
“Bundle up, keep the kids warm, everybody, you know, stay warm, stay safe, um, and just enjoy the cold weather because the heat is going to be back before you know it,” Meeks said.
For more tips on keeping your energy usage low, visit jea.com/save.