Extreme cold increases demand on oil

Polar vortex, or even just prolonged chilly winter weather, can cause a peak of demand on oil and other services. This increase in demand comes from the simple fact that many families are staying home and heating their homes.

This is when the laws of supply and demand rear their ugly heads. A drastically increased demand on these resources increases their cost. However, if you are purchasing fixed-rate electricity, like you can with Star Energy Partners, then you won’t have to worry!

Slow oil production

Cold temperatures make extracting oil from the ground a burden. Refineries are also slowed down due to cold weather, and these two aspects together can cause the actual production of oil during winter months to slow down. This can become a particularly troublesome problem if an oil shortage occurs and there is high demand for more oil.

Power outages

One side effect of inclement weather is the inevitable car accidents, which can lead to downed power lines and power outages. Power outages during the winter can exacerbate other problems, like rising energy prices and scarcity of propane and other fuels that are used for heating. It’s always important to drive safely, but that’s especially true in the winter!

Unseasonably warm temperatures

You would imagine that cold weather would be the only culprit, but unseasonably warm weather can also cause problems. Unusual seasonable temperatures that occur during an El Niño (just like this year) can hurt the energy industry by significantly reducing the amount of electricity many of us use during that. This makes sense, as warmer temperatures decrease the need to manually heat one’s home. In turn, this decreased usage can cut into energy companies’ revenue and potentially drive up prices for consumers.

Click here to learn how you can increase your home’s energy efficiency during the winter!

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Winter is upon us! As far as landscaping goes, this means it’s time to put away your lawn mower and pull your snow blower out of storage. Get ready to throw some snow!

If you want to ensure you aren’t also throwing too much money at your snow blower, ensure that you have the most energy efficient model for your family. To do this, you’ll need to find something that’s both within your price range and that properly suites your needs. This second part is important because the most expensive snow blower will not always be the best for your family. For example, a family that only needs to clear a sidewalk and porch won’t need a high-powered gas snow blower, but a family with a large driveway certainly might.

So, what kind should you choose?

Gas snow blowers

Classic gas-powered snow blowers can certainly take a beating from winter weather. Gas snow blowers are able to compete with their electric and battery counterparts simply because of their brute strength. Even though those other models are cheaper and somewhat easier to maintain, nothing can match a gas snow blower’s heavy-duty workload.

If your home regularly experiences snow storms that accumulate more than 8 inches of snow, or storms that create a lot of icy snow drifts, then you’ll want to have a gas-powered snow blower at the ready.

Electric snow blowers

Electric snow blowers are a dream for dealing with light to moderate snowfall. Storms that create less than 8 inches of snow, especially the light and fluffy type, are no problem for an electric snow blower. An added benefit of these electric models is that they can be started with the push of a button instead of having to prime and use a pull cord on a gas model. This makes them easier to start and handle.

If you choose an electric snow blower, you’ll likely need an extension cord to reach every party of your walkway or driveway. However, you’ll probably find it is still cheaper to buy an electric blower and extension cord than it is to get a gas snow blower.

Battery-powered snow blowers

Finally, there are battery-powered models that are capable of doing very small amounts of work. A battery-powered snow blower is best for light work, like clearing a walkway or porch. If you live in an apartment or don’t have a large driveway to maintain, this may be our best option.

However, they do have their drawbacks like expensive batteries and limited duty. Given the limited time one of these models can run (because it is battery-powered), you won’t want to try to do your entire driveway with one!

Their expensive batteries are another reason you’ll want to use them sparingly—buying new batteries drives up the cost of the unit and makes it a much less efficient buy.

Need to purchase a snow blower or other accessories to fight the snow? Make your purchase through the Star Energy Rewards app and receive cashback on your purchase!

The post Pick The Right Snow Blower to Save Your Home From Holiday Snow appeared first on .

Before

• Make sure you have operating flashlights and a portable, battery-powered radio. Your radio will be a valuable resource for information about weather and emergency information during winter storms.
• Have an emergency source of heat, whether that’s a generator that runs space heaters, a fireplace, or a wood burning or pellet stove.
• Ensure that your home is properly insulated. This will also help increase the energy efficiency of your home during the rest of the year, so there’s no reason not to invest in some good insulation!
• If your source of water could be affected by a power outage, try preemptively filling your bathtub up with water before a large winter storm. If you do lose access to water, you’ll at least have one tub worth of clean drinking water.
• Create an accessible emergency kit for your family. It should include non-perishable food, warm clothes, and many of the items listed above. Try to plan your emergency kit to last 72 hours.

During

• When in the middle of a power outage, dress accordingly. Wear several layers of light, warm clothing instead of one thick layer—this will better insulate heat. Also be sure that your outer layer is water resistant, as this will protect the rest of your layers (and your actual body) from becoming wet, as well as keeping you warm and toasty.
• Always wear a hat—your head is the place where most of your body’s heat escapes.
• Be vigilant for signs of frostbite and hypothermia, and seek medical attention immediately if you notice signs of either of them.
• If you completely run out of water, you can resort to melting snow as an emergency supply of drinking water.
• A snow bank can actually make a trusty makeshift freezer for your food—but be wary that you aren’t attracting animals.

After

• Be cautious of downed power lines when inspecting damage to your home or walking around outside.
• Assume all downed wires are live, and inform your utility company right away when you spot them.
• Continue to stay off the roads if you can afford to. Wait for conditions to improve before putting yourself at risk.

Got winter on the brain now? If you want some further reading, check out this Bright Insights blog post to learn how to prepare your home for the winter season!

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• Clean your gutters after all of your leaves have fallen. If you don’t do this before the snow begins falling regularly, your basement may leak come spring. This is because your gutters will be extra clogged in the spring if they are full of fallen leaves from the autumn and melting snow from the winter. For similar reasons, add extensions to your downspout. Ideally, you don’t want water to flow closer than 4 feet from your foundation.

• Insulate your pipes! If you don’t, they may become frozen and burst—you do not want this to happen, since it’s quite expensive to repair! You should be able to purchase a wide variety of pipe insulators at your local hardware store.

If you are feeling overly cautious about freezing pipes, try letting your water drip slightly so that there is always water flowing. A leaky pipe might seem counterintuitive, but over a short period of time when it’s cold, it can keep your pipes flowing freely and efficiently.

• Seal up any cracks around doors and windows with caulk or weather stripping.

• Install a programmable thermostat.  Programmable thermostats provide a lot of opportunities to save energy during the winter by making it possible to micro-manage your home’s temperature. Most of these smart thermostats come with apps that even allow you to adjust your home’s temperature when you are out and about!

• Replace your windows with energy efficient options.

• Ensure that you have proper insulation, especially in your attached garage or in your attic! Proper insulation will keep the cold outside and the warmth inside your home.

• Reverse your ceiling fans. By turning them clockwise during the winter, warm air is circulated towards the floor where you can actually enjoy it!

• Be sure to disconnect and drain all exterior water faucets so that they don’t burst! If you leave water in these fixtures, the water will expand when it freezes and cause a lot of damage.

• Prepare your lawn mower for winter storage and get your snow blower prepped and ready for a season of hard work! Be sure to drain all of the oil out of your lawn mower and to either run your mower until it runs out of gas, or add a fuel stabilizer to keep your fuel stable until spring. If you add fuel stabilizer, start your mower up for a few minutes before putting it away for good.

You can learn more about winter energy efficiency by reading the rest of our Bright Insights blog posts—check ‘em out!

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