Cold weather and holiday decorations mean higher energy bills this time of year. But there are ways to help lower them, and help the planet.
Christmas lights, inflatables and other holiday decorations increase energy usage. And if you use electric heating, your power bills are probably pretty steep.
Indiana Michigan Power spokesperson Tracy Warner says one easy switch is different Christmas lights.
“LEDs are much less expensive to operate than the old school Christmas lights. And actually a lot of people prefer the quality of the LED Christmas lights over the old style they seem to have kind of a brighter crisper light that they emit.”
Warner said setting thermostats and leaving them instead of cranking the heat to warm up quicker, investing in a programmable thermostat and opening curtains towards the sun and closing them away from it can all help keep bills down.
He said anyone who has trouble paying higher bills can enroll in a program to average their bills throughout the year, so costs are spread out.
Anyone having trouble paying for heat can call their energy company to be connected with non-profits in their area that provide assistance.
