LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — This winter nobody wants to be cold or left in the dark— that's why power companies in Little Rock have been taking necessary precautions and spreading the word on what to do at home to prepare ahead of winter weather.
"Anything we can do to help our customers be safe and anything you can do at home to keep you safe is definitely our top priority,” said Matt Ramsey, the Senior Communication Specialist at Energy Arkansas.
This season it's all about being proactive instead of reactive and Ramsey said that he has a few tips to keep in mind.
"Make sure you change out your filters regularly. Having a dirty filter can definitely make your system work harder, which just allows more energy usage, which continues to help increase your bill as well," Ramsey added.
He also said another thing customers need to focus on is making sure their heating systems are working properly. Not only because you want to stay warm, but also because making sure they're functioning as they should can keep your electric bills low.
"Heating costs more than 50% of a customer's monthly energy usage so making sure that it works properly is definitely a top priority. Another tip that can help you out is making sure that you set your thermostat at 68 degrees, any degree above 68 will add an additional 3% to your electric bill," Ramsey explained.
As you take the correct safety precautions inside your home, crews at Electric Cooperative Arkansas have continued working hard outside to keep you safe.
"Within a municipal system or area, you might have 50 people per mile of line so we have to maintain those lines and ensure that integrity of that structure is solid and we do that by rigorous maintenance program throughout the state of Arkansas," said Rob Roedel, the Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.
Winter weather can mean harsh winds, heavy rain, and maybe even snow so he said that it's crucial for their crews to prepare for the worst.
"In the event of an outage, in the event of a power line being down, it is crucial that you stay away from that downed power line. If a tree is up against the line, remember that tree could be energized. A winter storm is bad enough and stressful enough, but what a tragedy it would be if some child or some adult was injured or died as a result of touching something like this," Roedel described.
Energy Arkansas has a list of tips on how to stay warm and keep your electric bills low.
For more information on what to do if you experience a power outage, please click here.