CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Energy leaders in the Lowcountry are offering tips for ensuring energy bills do not catch folks by surprise as cooler temperatures call for heating their homes.
Dominion Energy, Berkeley Electric and Santee Cooper all agree that the biggest impact to a person’s monthly energy bill is the thermostat, as it accounts for about half of a home’s annual energy use.
Each company has programs to help people save on their power.
Dominion Energy offers budget billing for customers who want to avoid seasonal bill increases because of weather.
Dominion Energy will take a customer’s 12 previous electric bills, find the average and the projected cost of energy for the next 12 months. They will then divide that amount into 12 equal payments for that customer so they will never be surprised with an elevated bill caused by weather-related fluctuations.
Dominion Energy also offers programs to eligible residential electric and natural gas customers to help decrease energy use. These include:
- Home Energy Check-up which provides free consultation and assessment by an energy expert for customers’ homes, along with recommendations on how to enhance energy efficiency.
- EnergyWise Online Savings Store which offers instant discounts on a variety of Energy Star-certified products like smart thermostats, advanced power strips, water-saving products, weatherization kits and more.
- Heating & Cooling Equipment Program which offers customers rebates up to $750 for installing new Energy Star-qualified central air conditioning systems, heat pumps and heat pump water heaters that replace older equipment, as well as making ductwork improvements in existing residences.
Berkeley Electric also offers options to help customers save on their energy bill. The company offers a smart thermostat program with rebates. The company also receives alerts from their billing department when spikes in energy use are detected in a member’s home.
“We reach out to the member to help figure out what the problem is. Oftentimes, it’s the heat strips running undetected or a malfunctioning water heater. This proactive review program saves our members thousands of dollars each year because we’re able to tell the member they’re having a problem before they realize anything is wrong,” Libby Roerig, the director of marketing and communications for Berkeley Electric Cooperative, says.
Berkeley Electric also offers low-interest loans to help qualifying members invest in their homes’ energy efficiency. Roerig says that members can contact them at any time for assistance with their energy concerns and learn more about the programs they offer.
Santee Cooper also offers several programs to help get customers the best experience when it comes to energy use.
Santee Cooper offers several smart energy home rebate programs to help you use less electricity. This includes heat pumps, smart thermostats, duct replacements and Energy Star appliances.
Santee Cooper also offers rewards programs and low-interest loans to their members More information about Santee Cooper’s “empowerhome” program can be found here.
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