PECO customers will see a minor decrease in their electric rates and a larger increase in their natural gas costs starting March 1, the company announced.
For residential electric customers using 700 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month, the total monthly bill will decrease by $0.33, from $143.89 to $143.56, a 0.23% reduction.
The change is primarily due to a decrease in generation charges, which are passed directly from suppliers to customers, according to PECO.
Residential generation charges will decrease by 0.048 cents to 8.381 cents per kWh, resulting in a monthly charge of $58.67 for the typical residential customer.
Small commercial customers using 10,000 kWh per month will see generation charges decrease by 1.166 cents to 7.170 cents per kWh, resulting in a $717 monthly charge for the typical customer.
However, natural gas customers will see an increase.
Residential customers using 80 Ccf (hundred cubic feet) of natural gas per month will see their monthly bill increase by $8.70, from $112.41 to $121.11, a 7.74% rise.
Commercial customers using 400 Ccf per month will see an even larger increase, with their monthly bill rising by $43.45, from $452.72 to $496.17, a 9.60% jump.
Below are some energy-saving tips to help customers manage their heating costs effectively:
• Maintain your thermostat at 68°F or lower, as each degree above this setting can increase your heating costs by six to eight percent.
• Utilize blankets and dress warmly to reduce the need for higher thermostat settings.
• Reverse ceiling fans to recirculate warm air that rises to the ceiling.
• Insulate windows with curtains during the night and open blinds during the day to capture solar heat.
More energy saving tips:
Lighting:
• Replace all incandescent bulbs with LED or compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Always turn lights off in rooms you are not using.
• Make sure bulbs do not exceed the recommended wattage indicated on the light socket.
• Use one larger wattage bulb instead of two smaller wattage bulbs for greater efficiency.
• Opt for direct lighting (like reading lamps) over brightly lighting an entire room.
• Clean light bulbs regularly to maintain optimal brightness.
Appliances:
• Use the air-dry option on your dishwasher if available or open the door after the final rinse cycle to dry the dishes.
• Only run dishwashers and clothes washers when they are fully loaded.
• Keep your refrigerator and freezer full as they operate more efficiently when full.
• Avoid overfilling the dryer and use the automatic setting if available; dry loads back-to-back to utilize residual heat.
• Clean the lint filter in your dryer between loads.
• Unplug or recycle spare refrigerators or freezers if not needed; they are typically the second-largest electricity users in a home.
• Consider replacing refrigerators more than ten years old.
• Choose Energy Star-labeled appliances which are certified to use less energy.
• Unplug electronic devices, chargers, and appliances when not in use as they can still consume energy in “Off” or “Power Save” modes.
• Use power strips with an on-off switch to easily cut power to devices not in use.
• Ensure that the clothes dryer’s outside air vent is well-sealed.
• Keep the condenser coils on the back of your refrigerator and freezer clean.
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