10/15/2019- If the thought of your home heating bill leaves you shivering, you can expect a little relief this winter. Wisconsin Public Service has announced their winter heating forecast shows the average customer will pay about 4% less to heat their home this season. Matt Cullen with WPS says that forecast is based on the 20-year average of winter weather and sustained lower natural gas prices. He also adds that employing a few efficiency tips could lead to an even bigger break on your energy bill.
“Low-cost or no-cost tips include using ceiling fans to be able to heat your rooms in your home. There’s actually a little switch on the top of a ceiling fan that can push warm air from the ceiling down to the floor level. When you’re asleep or you’re away from home, you should take that thermostat and set it back 7 to 10 degrees. Some other tips include sealing gaps around your doors and windows and siding- that allows warm air to stay inside your home and not leak to the outside.”
Even with these savings, thousands of Wisconsin families struggle with their home heating bills each year. Cullen says there is assistance available for these residents, but the first step is to contact WPS.
“Our employees can work with them, maybe offer them a minimum payment option or payment arrangement. However, there are options and resources available for customers and one thing we remind customers to do is to check their eligibility for energy assistance through the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program and they can provide them the necessary information, help them apply for that energy assistance which can help them as we get into the winter heating season.”
Temperatures are cooling off quickly and Cullen says it’s a good time to change your furnace filter and schedule an annual inspection and tune-up for your heating unit before the really cold air sets in. If the WPS heating forecast holds true, customers will pay an average of $23 less in heating costs this winter compared to last.