Extreme winter temperatures arrived earlier than usual in Tideland territory. Based on weather data, December 2020 required 30% more space heating than December 2019 and 20% more than December 2018.That was reflected in Tideland’s kilowatt hour sales. In December 2020 we sold 5 million more kilowatt hours than in the previous year and established a new record for December sales.
That trend continued through the month of January 2021 when Tideland sold 5.3 million more kilowatt hours than in January 2020, a 16% increase. That is in keeping with heating degree day data, which reflected a 39% increase in required space heating for January 2021 over the previous year.
Tideland members who want to see the impact of heating degree days (HDD) on their personal energy use can access that data on the member portal and overlay it with their daily kilowatt hour readings. The same is available for cooling degree days when air conditioning is required.
With the exception of August 2020, Tideland’s December and January kilowatt hour sales were the highest two months on record since August 2019. Keep in mind that peak summer sales tend to be higher due to temperatures, no competing energy sources for air conditioning, and much higher occupancy rates of vacation homes and rentals in Tideland territory.
As we went to press on February 5, temperatures were already trending lower than the past three years, with 101 HDD logged thus far. Compared to the same time period in 2020 that represented a 180% increase in required home heating. Unfortunatley, the extended forecast continued to call for much lower daily highs than we have experienced the three previous Februarys.
Winter Bill Help
Please see our manager’s column for a reminder of strategies that can help you navigate higher winter bills.
