Here’s how Georgians can prepare their home for an energy efficient winter season

As winter approaches and fall weather winds down, Georgia Power wants to help customers keep their homes safe, comfortable, and energy efficient for the season. 

Tips, Tools & Resources
Georgia Power offers efficiency information and tools that can help customers save money and energy throughout the year. The company’s My Power Usage  tool, a free service available for many Georgia Power online accounts, allows customers to track their daily energy use online, project their monthly bill, set alerts and stay within a set energy budget.

Easy tips to save money and energy include:

• Decorate efficiently- When you’re out shopping, consider grabbing energy-efficient LED holiday decorations, which consume over 50 percent less energy than traditional options. Use timers for lights and inflatables to ensure they are only on when people are home or awake to enjoy them.
• Optimize heating – Remember, heating can account for up to 50 percent of a home's typical winter energy usage. Enhance the efficiency of your heating unit by changing filters monthly, or every three months for pleated filters. Make sure heating vents and return air registers are unobstructed by furniture or drapes.
• Check your insulation – Keep heat where it belongs by ensuring proper insulation in attics and walls. Replace any cracked or peeling caulk or weather stripping around doors and windows to save up to 10 percent on energy usage.
• Adjust your thermostat – Set your manual thermostat to 68 degrees or lower. Each degree lower can result in a 3-4% decrease in energy consumption. Or, take advantage of programmable thermostat features if available to save energy throughout the day.
• Utilize natural heat – Open blinds and shades during the day to naturally warm your home at no cost. Close them at night to minimize the chill from cold windows.

Safety tips to keep in mind for the season include:

• Be safe with the use of space heaters – Keep space heaters away from furniture, curtains, sinks, tubs and water. Do not lay rugs or carpet over the cord. Do not use heaters if the cord is frayed or broken, and do not use an extension cord. Turn off heaters before leaving home or going to bed.
• Check your outlets – Look for outlets that have loose-fitting plugs, exposed wires or broken plates. Have them fixed by a qualified electrician. Use safety covers on all outlets accessible to children. 
• Invest in Surge Protectors – Only use surge protectors with internal circuit breakers. To prevent overheating, these units will trip the breaker if the power strip is overloaded or shorted to prevent overheating. Do not plug a surge protector into an existing surge protector. When the surge protector is not in use, unplug the unit. 

Georgia Power is committed to helping customers save money on their energy bills, explore rate options and get assistance when needed. Find dozens of other energy resources, whether you own a home or rent at www.GeorgiaPower.com/MyEnergy.