When the weather turns freezing and snow appears, your furnace and other heating appliances work overtime to keep you warm, which means they use more energy. This is especially true during extremely cold temperatures, like what most of Michigan experienced in January. This increased energy usage also means you should expect to see a higher energy bill – up to 10% or more, depending on how much energy you used to stay comfortable.
We know how important it is to take control of your energy budget, so DTE has tips, tricks and tools to help you manage your energy use and bills all winter long.
What impacts my energy bill?
Keeping your home warm can demand a lot of energy. Managing your energy use when the weather is cold and freezing is key to controlling your monthly energy costs. When it comes to comfort and control, it’s important to remember that four factors impact you and your energy bill.
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- Energy Usage: The primary factor impacting an energy bill is usage, with heating costs accounting for more than half of the amount billed. You use more natural gas and electricity in the winter – to heat homes and water, cook hot meals and you use more electronic devices and lights inside when it’s dark out each winter.
- Fluctuation in Temps: Therefore, even just a few days of extremely cold weather can make your furnace work harder and longer, increasing your energy usage.
- Monthly Billing Cycle: Cycles can run from 26 to 35 days, so monthly bills may vary based on the number of days. The number of days in your meter reading schedule can vary based on holidays and weekends.
- Household Changes: More people in your home means appliances are used more or thermostats are adjusted to make guests more comfortable.
What tools are available to help me lower my energy usage?
Our free energy usage tools make it easy to learn how you use energy so you can make the right decisions for your household’s budget this winter. Sign in to or create your online account and use the Bill Analyzer tool at the “Analyze my Bill” link to help you:
- Analyze your energy usage by the hour or month
- Calculate your DTE bill based on changes you make
- Discover what appliances use the most energy in your home
- Try out a new electric rate to see how it could impact your projected bill
- Understand how outside factors, such as the length of the billing period or weather, can impact your bill
- Estimate the cost of charging an electric vehicle
Electric customers can download the free DTE Insight App to help you see, understand, manage and control the energy used to power your home. Use the Insight App to receive energy usage recaps, set budgets and track goals – right in the palm of your hand.
What can I do to lower my energy bill in the winter?
When temperatures fall, bills can rises. Take control of your energy use by applying these low-cost, no-cost energy-saving tips to not only keep you warm and comfortable but also keep your energy bill down.
- Adjust your programmable thermostat to 68 degrees when you’re home and to 65 degrees or lower when you’re asleep or out of the house. You can save around 3% on heating costs for each degree you lower your temperature.
- Know what uses the most energy – Electric space heaters use a high amount of energy and can impact your bill. While they offer immediate warmth, the cost to run a space heater is high.
- Add caulking or weatherstripping around doors and windows. You can save up to 10% on your annual energy bills by sealing air leaks and adding insulation.
- Allow warm sunlight in south-facing windows during the day and cover them at night to reduce drafts.
- Keep your furnace working at peak efficiency by regularly changing air filters, cleaning vents and getting routine tune-ups.
- Turn on your ceiling fans. Run the ceiling fan clockwise to draw warm air near the ceiling down throughout the room.
Learn more ways to stay cool and lower your energy bill at dteenergy.com/staywarm. Additionally, if you or anyone you know needs assistance paying their bill, find support and programs at dteenergy.com/help.