What Are Your Energy Options in the Winter?

In the winter time, energy rapidly becomes a concern as you watch your power bill climb to keep up with the plummeting temperatures. What are your energy options in the winter? What are some ways you can keep your bill down while keeping your house warm? Can you find other ways to keep warm without spending hundreds of dollars on power?

Today we’re going to get into the different energy options you have for heating your home. Remember, you never have to just sit back and deal with a ridiculous power bill. You have options to keep your bills manageable.

What Are Your Energy Options in the Winter?

Electricity Providers

If your electric bill is crazy-high, you need to look into your energy options. First, you need to figure out who your power supplier is, and how that power is supplied. While some areas have only one energy provider available, others have energy service companies, or ESCOs, you can go through to help reduce your bill.

ESCOs, for their part, are a great way to get your power bill down. Thanks to initiatives that deregulate how homes receive power, these ESCOs are growing in popularity. Typically, an ESCO helps your home be more energy efficient through renewable energy resources.

For example, an ESCO may offer to set up solar panels, wind turbines or other renewable energy collection devices in or around your home. Then, the energy these devices creates get used by your home before the energy from your power supplier. That means that you’re consuming less power from your supplier, keeping your bills down!

Going Green

Going green like this does a lot more than just save you money. ESCOs can often set up energy efficiency measures to keep your bill down, like solar panels. They can also set up things like more secure window and door seals, which keep your heat from leaking and let you consume less energy.

While it’s great to save money on your power bill, it’s even better to cut down on your energy consumption for the sake of the planet. The amount of energy wasted by some houses is downright appalling, and it does more than keep the power bill high.

Greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact are serious concerns for many people. The realities of rampant global warming and out-of-control emissions have made many people much more cognizant of their role in stopping climate change.

Local Providers

For other options, go though the USA.gov website and search for your state to find local energy providers. These providers will offer different prices, services and green options. This can be a great way to find out about providers in your area you wouldn’t have otherwise known about.

You can often find that you’ll save money by just looking into your local provider’s green options. The energy-saving measures put in place by some states make it so that you can save a great deal on your power bill. If your local provider has such energy-saving provisions, you should sign up to get your bill down and help the environment!

Ask the Right Questions

When dealing with your local energy provider, it helps to ask the right questions. Ask about utility cut-off dates when buying a new property to make sure you only get charged for the electricity you use. Don’t forget to ask about energy saving measures they have in order to keep your bill down. Alternatively, they may offer an energy audit that they follow with tips for saving energy (and money on your bill.)

If they don’t offer this, ask if they are partnered with any local ESCOs who offer a similar service. If they aren’t, don’t fret, as there are often independent resources you can seek out who do offer such services. Remember, ask about any fees or deposits it may take to get an ESCO added to your utilities. You don’t want the fees to outweigh your savings!

Make sure you also figure out whether your energy rates are fixed or variable. Fixed energy rates can be great in areas with extremely cold winters, though variable rates can result in very low bills in the mild months. Finally, make sure you know how long any contract with your energy provider lasts and whether you could be charged for making changes before the expiration date.

Don’t forget that you can always call your state’s public utilities commission with any pressing questions you have. They’ll be able to help you with any energy questions you may have, including ESCOs and energy saving tips.