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Take Action Now to Weather the Winter Cold
As we transition into crisp autumn days, the shorter and colder nights remind us winter is just around the corner.
In Central Oregon, winter can arrive swiftly, with conditions shifting from mild to extreme in a matter of days. Last January and early February, a barrage of storms brought heavy snow, followed by days with freezing temperatures and icy rain.
Is your house ready?
While thinking about winter may not be at the top of everyone’s mind, now is a great time to take action and prepare your home before winter settles in. Winterizing your house helps keep you warm during the coldest months and reduces energy use, especially if you rely heavily on electricity to heat your home.
Central Electric Cooperative wants to serve as your trusted energy adviser. CEC members have benefitted from our numerous energy-efficiency programs to help you get ready for those cold winter months.
- Take advantage of a CEC home energy audit. If you live in a manufactured home or a site-built home built before 1993, CEC offers free home energy audits to help you identify your most cost-effective home upgrades.
- Upgrade to a heat pump water heater. These water heaters can save you more than 60% on your water heating costs. The equipment pulls in air from the space around it, extracting heat from the air and transferring it to the water tank via a refrigerant coil. CEC offers a $1,000 rebate on heat pump water heaters, and a federal tax credit of 30% is available for certain installations.
- Look into weatherization rebates. CEC offers insulation and window rebates to members living in older, electrically heated homes. Rebates vary depending on the project, and project materials must meet program requirements.
- Upgrade to a smart thermostat. CEC offers a $140 rebate for upgrading to a qualified smart thermostat in your electrically heated home. Compared to nonprogrammable thermostats, these smart thermostats can save you 8% to 15% annually on your heating and cooling costs. Visit our website for a list of qualifying thermostats.
- Check out our income-qualified programs. CEC offers an income-qualified home energy upgrade program where, at no cost to the homeowner, CEC will upgrade insulation, the heating and cooling system, and much more.
To learn more about these programs, visit the CEC website or call (541) 548-2144 to speak with an energy specialist. They can determine the best path forward by answering your questions and performing an energy audit if needed.
No matter how cold it gets, we’re here to help improve your quality of living.
President and CEO Brad Wilson