Colder Temps increase Energy Use

You sometimes probably wonder why your electricity bill goes up and down, and is higher at certain times of the year. If you’re paying close attention, you may have noticed that the spikes generally occur during the cold winter months and warm summer months. That’s because your heating and cooling system is working harder during these months to keep the inside of your home comfortable. Typically our highest energy use periods of the year will occur in January through March and then again June through September. 

In the chart above, the blue line represents the low temperature and the red bar represents daily energy usage for a typical member over the course of a billing period. You will notice that as it gets colder and the low temperature goes down (drop in the blue line), energy use goes up (taller red bars). The same goes for when temperatures rise (climb in the blue line), energy use goes down (shorter red bars). When there is a larger difference between the outside air temperature and the temperature you have the inside of your home set at, you use more energy to maintain the comfortable setting you like. 

This same data is also available personalized for your specific account, which you can access by logging into your account through our online member services portal at CEMCpower.com. 

As you can see, there is a direct relationship between the low temperature and the amount of energy our home uses to keep it warm inside. When is it colder outside, your heating system must work harder and consumes more electricity in order to compensate for the difference in the temperatures outside and inside your home.

If you have any questions about your monthly bill or energy use, you can always give us a call at 919-774-4900. We are always happy to answer your questions and recommend ways to save energy.