RICHMOND, Va. β While Virginia didn't experience a white Christmas last month, December was cold, and as many homeowners and renters are discovering, those record low temperatures have resulted in sky-high bills.
According to some on social media, those bills have doubled and in some cases tripled.
"Of course that comes with a cost," said Craig Carper, Dominion Energy spokesperson.
But Carper says those higher than normal bills around this time of the year may in fact be normal.
"People are asking, 'Oh this is a much bigger song than I remember last year or the year before,' and they're probably right because this past December was the coldest December that we've had since 2010," Carper said.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration December Weather Summary, last year was three to five degrees colder than normal thanks to a cold start to the month, but Carper says a milder finish likely put more stress on HVAC units.
"Your system is going all over the place trying to keep you comfortable and it's working very hard to do that," Carper said.
With colder weather and snow expected this weekend, Carper says there are ways to make your HVAC work smarter.
"We of course have our website that would point people to both saving tips and new programs that they can take advantage of," Carper said.
One new option found on Dominion's website is the Energy Saving finding tool, which can send you customized solutions whether you're a homeowner or renter based on the information you provide.
For those looking for consistency, there is also budget billing.
"It takes a 12-month average of your energy usage and we charge you that average for 12 months and then we update it annually," Carper said.
Carper says you can also sign up for energy alerts, where you can receive text alerts anytime your daily energy usage is above average so you can figure out if you need to make adjustments.
For those who may need help paying their bill, Carper says you can see if you qualify for "Energy Share," a crisis-based program. If you are experiencing efficiency-related issues and you've been injured, lost a spouse, a job, or experienced significant income change, Dominion will send someone to do an audit of your HVAC and other appliances and cover the costs of upgrades for those customers.
Carper says if you've exhausted all of those options and still need assistance, you can reach Dominion at 1-866-DOM-HELP.
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