JEA Offers Tips During Severe Cold Weather

2022-12-24

JACKSONVILLE – Hard freeze warnings are in place for Northeast Florida, and wind chills will make temperatures feel like the single digits in many areas. The region will experience below-freezing temperatures, which leads to increased energy usage.

JEA has proactively implemented winterization throughout our electric generation fleet, with teams prepared and ready to restore utility services if needed. We have purchased power and associated fuel to meet demand under these extreme cold conditions. We also have reviewed emergency plans to be prepared for any situations that may occur.

Heating accounts for up to 50 percent of energy consumption for the typical home. JEA recommends the following conservation tips:

• When adjusting your thermostat, increase the temperature by one degree at a time. Rapid swings in thermostat settings could turn on your system’s auxiliary heating or heat strips, which can be costly to run. Watch this video to learn more.
• Set your thermostat to 68 degrees; lower it to 65 degrees at bedtime and 55-60 degrees while you are away for an extended period.
• Consider using space heaters in occupied spaces while turning down the thermostat to avoid the costs of heating your entire home. Keep safety in mind: Never leave a space heater unattended, on while sleeping or close to flammable items. Make sure the space heater has “tip over protection.” Watch video on space heater safety.
• Consider wearing additional clothing such a comfortable sweater for added insulation when you turn the thermostat cooler.

To protect your property, JEA suggests these tips:

• Drip outside faucets about 5 drips per minute.
• Let water drip slowly from inside faucets.
• If a washing machine is in an unheated room such as a garage, disconnect both the hot and cold water lines. Place both in the drain pipe behind the washing machine. Drip both faucets at about 5 drips per minute.
• Wrap any exposed pipes and backflow preventers located outside or in unheated areas.
• Know the locations of water shutoff valves and sewer clean-outs.
• If you’re going away for the holidays, shut off water at the water shutoff valve. Leave heating on a low setting and open cabinet doors under sinks.

JEA offers a variety of billing and payment options for residential and business customers, including:

• JEA MyBudget is a levelized budget billing plan that averages your past usage so that your monthly bill will be about the same every month. Learn more.
• My JEA Utility Tracker: Helps customers track their daily electric and water consumption and provides savings tips specific to their homes. Using Tracker, customers can learn which appliances use the most energy or water, so they can make better decisions, conserve where needed and better manage utility costs. Learn more at jea.com/tracker.
• Payment Arrangements: For when customers need to pay their balance due over a longer period of time with installments. Learn more.
• Access to Community Resources: We can point the way to third-party groups that offer utility bill assistance. Learn more.

Find more cold weather tips at jea.com/winter. To report an electric or water outage, visit jea.com/outage or call (904) 665-6000.

About JEA

JEA is a not-for-profit, community-owned utility located in Jacksonville, Florida, proudly serving an estimated 505,000 electric, 382,000 water, 302,000 sewer and 22,000 reclaimed water customers. JEA is not owned by investors. It was created by the City of Jacksonville to serve those who live in Jacksonville and in the surrounding communities. The sole purpose of JEA’s business is to ensure the electric, water and sewer demands of its customers are met, both today and for generations to come with the goal to provide reliable services at the best value to our customers while ensuring our precious natural resources are protected.

Media Contact

Karen McAllister
JEA Media Relations
media@jea.com | 904-665-5500

Category:

• conservation
• customer
• electric
• storm
• water