My heating bills are driving me batty!

This chart nicely translates into the approx costs per month

Starting with this past December, my electric bills have skyrocketed compared to what they were in the past! It's been three winter seasons since I've seen heating bills this high. Part of the reason for the increase have been the progressive rate hikes by the local electric cooperative aka Empire Electric. My rates have seen something like a 24% increase in the electric rates since 2010. As a result, I've suffered back to back bills that were well over $200 and fully expect the same treatment after February when all said and done.

February, which just got started as of this post, could well be a record breaker in terms of cold temperatures. As of the 3^rd, my location in Forsyth MO is ten degrees below average and we have five more days that will struggle to see the twenty degree mark for a high!

So, in an effort to reduce my overall bill for February, I plan to recuse myself to my bedroom while setting the whole house temperature setting back to 66F during the daytime hours. I have a small space heater and a humidifier running 24/7 to help keep conditions livable.