Remember the cold days in January? Here are some facts that will help you understand why electric usage is higher when the temperature is low.
Cold weather affects residential energy bills more than any other factor. Heating takes up about a 42% share of overall energy use in American homes. The temperature difference between the inside of your home and the air temperature outside is greater during the winter than in the summer.
The greater the temperature difference, the harder your heating system has to work to maintain a comfortable temperature. For example, if you want your house to be 70 degrees inside and it’s 20 degrees outside, your HVAC system has to make up 50 degrees difference in temperature. Even on a 100-degree summer day, the HVAC system only has to make up about 30 degrees difference versus that 50-degree variance in winter.