CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Inside Ervin and Lynette Baldwin’s home in Chesterfield County, Ervin Baldwin prepares for a cold night. But in his house, he knows one thing his wife says is off limits.
“I don’t touch the thermostat, I don’t do any of that. She does all of that,” Baldwin says.
The thermostat is one of the most effective ways to save on electricity costs, according to Dominion Power’s David Botkins
“If you can be comfortable in your home or apartment with your thermostat set down to 68 or 67 degrees, you are going to save money on your electric bill,” said Botkins.
Botkins also says keeping the cold out is just as important. At the Baldwin home, they are doing just that.
“Basically, go around the house and make sure all the storm windows are shut, especially when you know when the temperature is going to drop,” Baldwin said.
“There are gaps and cracks and holes in our homes that we can’t see with the naked eye. That’s why it’s important to have really good insulation,” said Botkins.
The Baldwins have heeded that advice.
“We have the weather stripping, what we do is basically in the attic is go around and make sure all that is sealed to make sure you don’t have any air that is coming in,” Baldwin said.
Lynette Baldwin has her own tips. Her thermostat has an automatic schedule that cuts the heat on and off based on when people are home.
“Generally, I set it where it comes up a little higher when we start waking up in the morning, and then 15 minutes after the last person leaves we turn it down,” said L. Baldwin.
And with the cold weather, fire crews are also warning to use caution when heating your home.
“We recommend that if you are using any kind of space heater, kerosene heater, anything like that, you keep them three feet away from anything that is combustible,” said Jason Elmore with the Chesterfield Fire Department.
It’s also important this time of year to make sure you have a working smoke detector and make sure it has fresh batteries. If you don’t have a smoke detector, or if you need help changing the batteries, call your local fire department. Also, Dominion Power says it is important to report if you ever lose power. You can do that and find other helpful resources at their website by clicking here.
