Cold November will have an impact on electricity bills

The colder the outdoor temperature, the more energy it takes to heat a home: even if you don’t turn up your thermostats, your bill will be higher because you will use more electricity to keep your home at the temperature you are used to.

Obviously, the increase depends on the home, including insulation quality, household size and the habits of family members.

How to save electricity

To have a real impact, you must understand your electricity use. Heating accounts for almost 55% of winter electricity costs, and water heating for 20%, so these two factors should be the focus of your efforts. Here are some tips for winter savings:

• Lower the temperature by a degree or two at night and at all times in unoccupied rooms.
• Feel a draft? Insulate your windows with plastic film.
• Reduce your use of hot water by taking shorter showers and doing laundry in cold water.
• Use energy-efficient lightbulbs. LED bulbs are about 85% more efficient than traditional incandescents and they last 25 times longer.

In addition, to help customers save during winter peak periods, Hydro-Québec has proposed dynamic pricing scenarios to the Régie de l’énergie. If these options are approved, they will be available starting winter 2019-2020 and will serve as a new tool for meeting winter peak demand.