Temperatures will be taking a nose dive this weekend and dangerously cold wind chills. The National Weather Service says the low Friday night will be around 7 below zero and around 13 below zero Saturday night. Wind chills could be in the 20-30 below zero range. Black Hills Energy officials want Lincoln residents to be prepared.
They recommend setting your thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter and reduce it 2 to 3 degrees while you’re away from home or sleeping. Installing a programmable thermostat is good way to reduce wasted energy overnight and while you’re out of the house.
Black Hills also recommends limiting laundry and household chores. “Doing laundry or washing dishes can use energy to heat the water and your dryer,” says spokesperson Brandy Johnson. “If you can, only wash full loads using cold water, air dry your clothes, or even better, wait until the extreme cold weather passes to complete these activities.”
In addition, check your furnace filter to make sure it’s clean and properly installed facing the correct direction.
Other tips:
- Make sure your furnace vent, gas fireplace vent and tankless/conventional water heater vents are free from any obstructions or debris.
- Adjust your humidity. A well-humidified house at 68 degrees is as comfortable as a dry house at 75 degrees.
- Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans only as needed. In just one hour, these fans can exhaust a house full of warmed air.
- Reduce hot water usage. Use low-flow faucets and shower heads and take short showers instead of baths. Set the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees or put it on the “warm” setting.
It’s also recommended that customers weather-strip windows and doors, seal cracks caulk. For more energy saving tips click here.