This article is brought to you by Silver Birch Living of Kokomo. Silver Birch offers a full spectrum of personalized services to help older adults maintain their independence in a supportive, caring environment. For more information, visit Silver Birch of Kokomo online.

Prolonged below-normal temperatures are pushing home energy use higher across Indiana, and higher use can mean higher bills. Duke Energy is sharing practical steps and flexible options to help customers manage costs during this cold stretch.

Indiana is experiencing an unusually long stretch of cold weather, with weeks of temperatures below freezing – about 20 to 25 degrees below what’s typical for this time of year. It could be the longest cold stretch since February 2021. When temperatures stay low, heating systems run longer to maintain comfort, the primary driver of higher home energy use.

Duke Energy is offering simple steps and flexible options to help save energy and take control of the electrical bill during this extended cold stretch.

• Set your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting.
• Seal leaks and insulate to keep warm air inside.
• Let the sun help heat your home by opening blinds and curtains during the day and closing them at night.
• Operate ceiling fans clockwise to push warm air down.

Duke also offers $75 through an initial bill credit and $25 annually after that for those who enroll a qualifying smart thermostat in the company’s Power Manager® program. Participants agree to brief adjustments to their thermostat temperature, no more than four degrees, typically for one to two hours during periods of peak electricity demand.

Along with this program, Duke allows customers to select their due date to better align with paydays and offers short payment extensions when paying by the due date isn’t possible. Overdue charges also may be settled through installment plans.

For more information and to get started, visit duke-energy.com/WinterEnergySavings.

Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,300 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 920,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it Indiana’s largest electric supplier.