CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The cold snap that left the Carolinas in a deep freeze is finally over. While the ice and snow are melting, your energy most likely has risen during the cold snap.
"Extremely low temperatures typically will cause a spike," said Meghan Miles with Duke Energy.
Temperatures that reached single digits led to Duke Energy customers using more than energy than ever.
This past Friday, a new record was set with people using a whopping 21,623 megawatt-hours which eclipsed the record during the Arctic blast of February 2015 when customers used 21,101 megawatt-hours.
"We saw energy usage rise about 20-25 percent," recalled Miles of the similar cold blast in 2015, which could equally spell a higher energy bill.
PSNC Energy tells NBC Charlotte that an average customer with $130 energy bill could see a spike of $50 to $60 dollars for the month of January.
They added that if we see unseasonably warm temperatures in the coming weeks then bills could even out.
Here are 5 things you can do to save money:
- Leave your blinds or drapes open on sunny, winter days but close them at night to help insulate your home
- Have your HVAC system checked annually by a heating & air conditioning contractor
- Change your air filters regularly
- Replace standard bulbs with CFL or LED bulbs.
- Reduce thermostat to lowest comfortable home setting
If your family is a Duke Energy customer and need help paying bills, the company offers programs that provide financial assistance to help with heating costs. For more information, you can click the link HERE.