{"id":4389,"date":"2024-11-22T14:52:44","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T20:52:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/?p=4389"},"modified":"2024-11-22T14:52:52","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T20:52:52","slug":"how-to-prepare-for-a-ga-cold-snap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/how-to-prepare-for-a-ga-cold-snap\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prepare for a GA Cold Snap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2>Planning for Turkey and Cold in GA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cold-span-ready-GA-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"A cold snap could come to GA this winter. Save on your natural gas bills and get your home ready for cold weather now.\" class=\"wp-image-4398\" title=\"Plan for a Cold Snap in GA this Winter\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cold-span-ready-GA-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cold-span-ready-GA-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cold-span-ready-GA-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cold-span-ready-GA-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cold-span-ready-GA.jpg 724w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption><center><em>Forecasters may predict a mild winter for Georgia but they&#8217;re not ruling out a bitter cold snap. Save on your natural gas heating bills by learning how to get your home ready for cold weather now.<\/em><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>While most of us are preparing to stuff our bellies on Turkey Day (as we should!), it\u2019s also a good time of year to plan ahead for winter cold snaps. From Macon, GA, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.macon.com\/news\/weather-news\/article294186844.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Telegraph<\/a> <\/em>reports that most of the state has a 50-60% chance of a warmer than average winter. However, that doesn\u2019t exclude the possibility of some serious cold snaps. And if a big chill hits, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/ga-natural-gas-rates-by-city\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GA gas rates<\/a> can climb. So, let\u2019s cover how to prepare for a GA cold snap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Preparing Your Home for A Cold Snap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When icy winds whip across the state and bring bitter cold temperatures to your front door, do you have a plan? Our simple tips can help you stay more comfortable and save money on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">natural gas in Georgia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Furnace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.energystar.gov\/saveathome\/heating-cooling#:~:text=Nearly%20half%20of%20the%20energy,utility%20bills%20%E2%80%94%20and%20your%20comfort.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Almost half<\/a> of our residential energy use goes to heating and cooling. So, bumping up your furnace efficiency will definitely lower energy costs. Firstly, change your HVAC filter according to the manufacturer&#8217;s recommendation. Some types should be changed once a month; some once or twice a year. A dirty filter makes your system run longer, uses more energy, and costs you more. Secondly, turn your thermostat down by 7\u00b0-10\u00b0 overnight and when you leave the house. This can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/energysaver\/programmable-thermostats#:~:text=Thermostat%20Operation,those%20in%20more%20severe%20climates.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">save you up to 10%<\/a> on heating and cooling. Next, make sure vents around the house are clear and check your ducts for air leaks. Finally, give your system a test run while it\u2019s still warm in case you need more maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Weatherization<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keeping that heated air inside with weatherization makes a big impact on your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/resources\/understanding-your-natural-gas-bill\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">natural gas bill<\/a>. <strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Firstly, use caulk and weather strips to seal air leaks around doors and windows for 10-20% energy savings. Secondly, add insulation to your home to save up to 20% on heating and cooling, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energystar.gov\/saveathome\/seal_insulate\/methodology\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Energy Star<\/a>. Insulation projects range in difficulty and are pricier than other items on this list. On the other hand, insulation upgrades have a big impact and you often notice changes right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Water Heater<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tap into savings with a few DIY water heater hacks. Firstly, turn the setting down. A setting of 120\u00b0F is fine for most people. This can save you up to $61 a year just from stand by heat loss, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/energysaver\/do-it-yourself-savings-project-lower-water-heating-temperature\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">DOE<\/a>. Next up, insulate your hot water pipes and tank. The DOE states that savings from these projects amount to 10-20% of water heating costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Preparing Your Gas Bill for A Cold Snap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Everything you do to prep your home for cold snaps also saves you money on energy costs. But there is one super effective hack that can take the savings to another level. It\u2019s easy and free to lower your gas costs when you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/natural-gas-rates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">compare natural gas rates in Georgia<\/a>. Grab a new plan today to gobble up savings before winter rates rise. Start shopping now at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Planning for Turkey and Cold in GA While most of us are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":4399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mbp_gutenberg_autopost":false},"categories":[153,210,152,246],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4389"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4389"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4402,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4389\/revisions\/4402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.georgiagassavings.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}