SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – The entire state of Florida is bracing for chilly temperatures this weekend and heating experts said letting your home get too cold before turning on the heat can put more strain on your unit and your wallet.
CEO of Strada Services, Joe Strada, said you should set the temperature to what’s comfortable to you and then let your heater do the rest.
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“Turning your heat on is so important,” Strada said. “In Central Florida, you probably have 80% to 90% of the heating systems are heat pumps. A heat pump is designed to run for a long period of time heating your home but it’s very, very efficient so don’t get worried that the unit runs a long time.”
As the arctic blast sweeps across the United States, millions of people are already without power. However, Duke Energy Spokesperson, Ana Gibbs, said they have enough energy to meet their customers’ needs.
“We actually have meteorologists that are on staff, they literally monitor the weather, the temperature, 24/7, 365 days a year and on top of that we actually have what we call backups to our backups, is the best way to describe it,” Gibbs said.
The Orlando Utilities Commission echoed a similar sentiment telling News 6 in a statement: “As temperatures drop heading into the holiday weekend, OUC will have additional crews – electric and water – ready. Our team drills for all types of events, including cold weather, so they are prepared for any situation that may occur. We urge your viewers to make safety their first concern and have safety tips at OUC.com/ColdWeather. Should an OUC customer experience an electric or water issue, please register for outage alerts, available in English and Spanish, by texting REG to 69682.”
First responders are also advising people that if it smells like something is burning when you first turn on your heater, it is more than likely dust burning off that has collected throughout the last few months.
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