YORK, Pa. — Winter is right around the corner, and that brings with it the threat of extreme winter weather events. However, the ever-changing weather patterns may be costing Pennsylvanians everywhere a pretty penny as utility bills continue to soar.
According to experts from PennEnvironment, extreme weather describes individualized weather events that do not fall within historic weather patterns; for example, summers are marked by heatwaves or tropical storms.
However, experts warn that the winter season carries its own extreme weather events, such as cold snaps or extreme snowfall.
PennEnvironment Executive Director David Masur warns that extreme weather can drastically increase utility costs.
“The two seasons where we see highest utility bills are the dead of winter, [which includes] the coldest months, weeks, and days, and [summer, which brings us] the hottest [temperatures of the year]."
As temperatures drop, home heaters turn on, often powered by costly fossil fuels.
“Unfortunately, I think it’s a very dangerous cycle. The more our utility bills go up, the more energy we’re using. As long as our energy is produced by the same pollution that triggers climate change, we’ll have more extreme weather events,” Masur described.
The use of fossil fuels is directly related to global greenhouse gas emissions, a leading gas for climate change. Changes in temperature can result in more moisture gathering in the atmosphere, sometimes leading to extreme downpouring or freezing rain during the winter.
Masur advocates that using sustainable energy, such as solar or wind power, could lead to savings. “We will certainly see the increase in costs as we rely on these old sources of energy," he warned.
Transitioning to renewable energy is viable for everyone, especially for non-homeowners; however, the change to renewable energy can also be costly upfront.
Regardless of where your energy comes from, experts say that the following tips can help reduce high utility bill costs:
- Turning your thermostat down, or off.
- Opening your shades/blinds when in direct sunlight to heat your home.
- Filling in any cracks around your home to prevent warm air from escaping.
While these tips can help you save money, Masur says it would take a widespread change to consistently keep your utility bills low.
“Pennsylvania is really starting to drop the ball, and is missing the economic and environmental opportunity to diversify and expand its energy production in these new twenty-first century modes of energy production,” Masur said.
Pennsylvanians aren’t the only ones expected to pay more for their utility bill this winter. A recent survey from Bankrate cites that 72% of Americans experienced higher-than-usual utility bills in the summer of 2023.
Additionally, 57% of Americans surveyed reported unwelcome costs to their bill over the past 10 years, and expect costs to continue rising in the future during periods of extreme weather.