LCEC – Lee County Electric Cooperative

Cold Weather Conservation Tips

LCEC is operating business as usual Wednesday morning, December 15. Crews will be scheduled on stand-by in the early hours of the morning to address any issues that may occur but we are not expecting anything unusual. It would be wise for customers to conserve energy as a precaution. LCEC offers the following tips:

Conserving Electricity in Cold Weather

• Adjust thermostat settings for heating to 68 degrees or less. This also helps to manage your winter electric bill.
• Dress warm and use an electric blanket to keep warm while you sleep.
• Consider a space heater for warming only the room you are in. Make sure there are built-in safety features such as tip-over switches, overheat sensors and protective screens or grills.
• Turn whole-house heater off when you’re not going to be home for an extended period.
• Close curtains and blinds to help insulate homes and buildings against cool temps at night. Open during the warmer part of the day so the sun can warm the building naturally.
• Turn off electric water heaters at the circuit breaker if not in use.
• Reduce use of all non-essential electric appliances, such as dishwashers and clothes dryers, especially during the early morning.
• Turn off all non-essential lighting and electric appliances, such as pool pumps.
• Turn off lights when you leave a room or when they aren’t needed.
• Keep cooking and bathing to a minimum, especially during the early morning hours.
• Leave refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
• If someone in your home is dependent on electric powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, check backup facilities.
• If you experience a power outage, turn off all major appliances, including the heater, immediately following the service interruption. This will prevent the system serving your home from being overloaded when power is restored. When power is restored, turn appliances on gradually and only as needed.

Cold Weather Tips

Tips from LCEC on how to save money on electric bills while it’s cold

NORTH FORT MYERS, FL – December 7, 2011 – While the temperatures are dipping in Southwest Florida, residents are turning on the heat. Here are a few tips from LCEC to help keep electric bills under control during this cold spell:

• Set the thermostat at 68 degrees; each degree higher costs about five percent more.
• Check the accuracy of your thermostat with an accurate thermometer. An improperly calibrated one can cause you to use more electricity without knowing it.
• Consider dressing warm in the morning until the sun warms your home naturally.
• Consider using a space heater for warming just the room that you’re in, instead of turning on central heat for the whole house. If you use a space heater, make sure it has built-in safety features such as a tip-over switch, overheat sensor, low surface temperature and protective screen or grill.
• Electric blankets may also be a cost-effective means of staying warm at night. Please use them safely.
• Close your blinds once the sun sets to keep its heat inside, then open your blinds in the morning to allow the sunshine to reheat your home.
• Keep return air filters clean.
• Weather strip or caulk exterior cracks and holes.
• Check your attic insulation to be sure it is R30. It will prevent heat from escaping your home.

For more information, visit www.lcec.net .