Xcel Energy offers advice to Coloradans on keeping energy bills low this summer
Cooling costs are expected to reach record highs this summer. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association estimates Americans will spend an average of nearly $800 on electricity between June and September, which is up more than 10% from last year.
Xcel Energy is now offering some advice for customers to save money on electricity.
Andrew Holder, the Director of Community Relations and Local Government Affairs for Xcel Energy, says the best way to keep your energy bill low is to be conservative when using your air conditioning and other appliances and to practice energy efficiency habits.
That includes opening all doors inside your home to improve air circulation and closing all drapes and blinds during the day to keep your home cooler.
Run ceiling fans counterclockwise to push the cool air down. Turn off lights and electronics when they're not in use.
"Adjusting your thermostat when you're at home up to 78 degrees or when you're away from home up to 80 to 82 degrees will help save some of that energy in your home, but first and foremost, we want our customers to be comfortable and stay safe when we're seeing this extreme temperature," said Holder.
Switching to LED light bulbs can use 75% to 80% less energy than traditional bulbs. Changing your air conditioning filters can also reduce your energy consumption by 5% to 15%.
Manage your appliances as well and use them in the morning or late evening.
"It's all about managing the energy use in your home. Some of those heavier appliances that use energy include dishwashers, some of your washing machines, try to use those outside of the peak demand days, which really is between 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and for most of our customers who are on the time of use rate, this will save you money at the end of the month on monitoring your energy bill," said Holder.
During the year, you can also improve your home's insulation, so you don't have cool air escaping from your home.
Xcel Energy's RED truck program also serves Colorado residents as energy experts go to local communities and offer free education and resources to help customers manage their energy usage and energy bills.
"We bring our customer care agents out into the community. This is where you can get face-to-face interaction with our Xcel expertise to ask questions about your energy efficiency, understand some of the programs and rebates that we offer. We want to meet you where you are," said Holder.
Xcel Energy also offers energy efficiency programs with money-saving options, including rebates, home energy audits, and deals on smart products.
"This is free to our customers. We can go in and look at some of the appliances that you are using in your home to ensure that we're giving you real-time feedback on how you can reduce your energy demand, especially on these hotter days," said Holder. "If you invest in a different type of appliance that is a gold star rating, there are rebates available to our customers to ensure that they save some money on their energy bill for investing in those types of reduced energy demand type appliances."
Customers can find that information through their My Account app or by visiting Xcel Energy's website.
Holder added that Xcel Energy is doing what it can to provide safe, reliable, and clean energy in Colorado, while ensuring affordable energy for customers.
"We've made investments in energy generation, which is the wind and solar farms that we've built around the state, but also gas turbines to ensure that we have enough electricity for these extreme demand-type days. We're going to do everything we can to ensure that the lights stay on here today, but we understand that our customers can play their role in ensuring that they use their energy as efficiently as possible," said Holder.
