The first half of 2020 certainly got off to a shaky start and as we transitioned into the official start of hurricane season on June 1, two Atlantic basin storms were already in the books and another formed on June 3. Like many, you may have been looking for any sign of a silver lining. One may have in fact come in the form of low kilowatt hour consumption during the 2020 winter heating season.

The graph at the top of the page reflects cumulative kilowatt hour sales for each heating season dating back to 2013. Most of the decline in 2020 consumption took place between December 2019 and February 2020 when unusually warm temperatures dominated and 27% less home heating was required based on an indoor temperature setting of 68°F.

Change in kWh revenue

Winter 2020 vs Winter 2019

Residential: -6.47%
Small Commercial: -9.20%
Large Commercial: -4.89%

As we moved into spring, temperatures remained so unseasonably mild that NC Cooperative Extension consumer horticulture agent Gene Fox authored a piece entitled “What’s wrong with my yard?” Responding to a slew of inquiries about the failure of warm-season grasses to thrive, Fox found that local soil temperatures remained in the 55 to 65 degree range mid-March to mid-May. The delayed spring warm up was a boon for most residential energy users able to delay the start of air conditioning season but probably a bust if your lawn is Bermuda, St. Augustine, centipede or zoysia grass.

Change in kWh revenue

May 2020 vs May 2019
Residential: -5.12%
Small Commercial: -26.25%
Large Commercial: -11.16%

Of course, individual electric bills aren’t monolithic. While the overall trajectory this year has seen decreased consumption, your kilowatt hour use may in fact have increased compared to last year for any number of reasons. You may have been furloughed or working from home as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Your family may have been impacted by school closures which meant remote learning at home for most students. That’s one reason I repeatedly encourage members to sign up for high energy use alerts and to track your consumption via the online member portal.