INDIANAPOLIS — If you thought your AES electric bill was high for January, the company says think again.
AES officials say it's urging customers to prepare for higher bills as more winter weather passes through central Indiana.
“I was amazed that my electric bill is now almost half my mortgage,” Julie Feyka said.
Feyka says she is one of many Hoosiers who say they are frustrated by their recent AES bill.
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“This is our biggest bill since we moved here,” Audrey Caldwell said.
AES says winter utility bills are often higher because it takes more energy to heat your home to the temperature you set, even if you have not changed your thermostat setting.
“It’s colder, it takes a lot more to heat your home, that’s just going to create some higher bills that customers are going to start to see when the billing cycle comes up in February,” Mallory Duncan with AES said.
AES offers these tips to save money by following these cold weather days:
- Help reduce heating costs. Set your thermostat back at least 8 degrees each day – when you are at work and when you go to bed. 70 degrees is a good threshold for when you are home, and lower when you are away or sleeping.
- Don’t set the thermostat higher than you want it, even if you’re trying to heat your home quickly. It won’t heat your home any faster, and it runs your system longer than necessary.
- Don't let anything – including furniture, drapes, and curtains – block heating airflow.
“We haven’t made any changes. We keep it 68 during the week,” Caldwell told WRTV.
AES says in the winter, your heating system works much harder to keep your home comfortable.
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They say even if you don’t change your thermostat setting, it runs longer to heat your home.
For more winter savings tips and resources, visit aesindiana.com/cold-weather-tips
