MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Dropping your thermostat by just one degree can lower your energy bill between 3-10%, according to Entergy.
“That may be just a little bit cooler than you’re used to in the winter, but it will really make a difference in how hard your heating unit has to work,” said Brandi Hinkle, a spokeswoman for the utility company.
She recommends setting your thermostat between 65-68 degrees to save money during the deep freeze.
“I don’t like cold weather!” said Dorothy Veasy, a Memphis mother who is grateful for her space heater.
When temperatures plummet, she told FOX13 that she lowers the thermostat throughout the house and blasts the space heater in one room.
“A space heater can be a really good source of heat,” said Hinkle. “We don’t recommend that you use those around the house. It’s going to be more concentrated in one small area.”
A spokeswoman for Memphis, Light, Gas and Water told FOX13 that the utility company predicts the average electricity, gas and water bill will decrease by about 2% when compared with last year. She said it is “due primarily to the natural gas hedging benefits (the company has) in place to help with the gas portion of the bills.”
Aside from the cold, Veasy worries that a branch could snap on a power line or her home.
“Look at all these trees,” Veasy said. “Branches are going to fall down.”
If the power goes out anywhere, Hinkle recommends keeping a flashlight on hand, as well as batteries and a charged cell phone.
“We can’t do anything but pray and hope it doesn’t get really, really serious,” Veasy said.
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