PECO customers are seeing a slight decrease in electricity costs, but natural gas rates have seen an increase.
The new rates started December 1, according to the utility company.
For electricity, the typical residential customer using 700 kilowatt-hours per month will notice their monthly bill decrease slightly from $135.35 to $135.23 — a reduction of 0.09 percent.
Natural gas customers will face a notable increase in their bills due to higher commodity prices and adjustments from prior under-collections. The rate for natural gas will rise by 2.371 cents per hundred cubic feet (Ccf), leading to an average monthly bill increase of approximately 2 percent, from $184.78 to $188.53 for customers using 160 Ccf.
The rate adjustment comes as natural gas prices typically increase during the winter months due to higher demand.
With the onset of colder weather, 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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