MICHIGAN, USA — A heat wave is sweeping across West Michigan and many will see it impact their electricity rates. One Consumers Energy spokesperson said due to the heat this time of year, electricity rates are expected to be at their highest for people combatting the warm weather.
“When you use more air conditioning, use more energy, that will affect your bill," said Brian Wheeler, spokesperson for Consumers Energy.
West Michigan residents are starting to feel the heat this week with soaring temperatures in the 90s. Many counties throughout West Michigan have sent out heat advisories, warning people to stay hydrated and cool.
“So we just put out to everybody be careful, especially if you're outside, find some shade, drink a lot of cool liquids, minimize some of that strenuous activity outside. If you can, those liquids don't include alcoholic beverages, because all they do is dehydrate you in this type of heat," said Louis Hunt, Ottawa County Director of Emergency Management.
Although the county advised people stay inside to cool off, the expense of air conditioning could be heating up your pocketbooks. With soaring high temperatures near triple digits this week, the warmer days mean higher rates. Wheeler said there are steps people can take to lower their bills.
“Maybe if you adjust your thermostat by a degree or two, every degree that you change your thermostat, you can save one to 3% on your bill. Additionally turning off lights, turning off appliances that aren't being used, really reducing the total amount of energy that you bring into your home will make a difference and help keep your bills down," said Wheeler.
Wheeler said it’s more expensive to have your electricity on during the middle of the day from 2-7 p.m. Consumers increased rates during that time to try to encourage people to not blast the A/C and hopefully put less strain on the power grid as a result.
“That also means it's less expensive with those other 19 hours of the day. So if you shift some of your energy usage, your laundry, your dishwasher, other major appliances that are doing their work, and you do it at night, for example, or in the morning, as much as you can, you begin to take advantage of the lower costs," said Wheeler.
For those who are lucky enough to have A/C this week, changing the temperature is voluntary. Wheeler said saving on your bill is up to the individual.
“This is a chance for us to be strategic about it, use fans instead of air conditioning. Use different times of day to cool things when it's cooler outside, and know ultimately, that you can really control how much energy you use and how much you pay," said Wheeler.
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