Employers may be getting some cost-cutting help from a very unlikely source this winter.
National weather forecasters are predicting a milder winter than last year’s throughout most of the country. Snowfall is expected to be much lighter in most of the Northeast, and temperatures will be higher in the Southeast.
However, there is one region that is expected to feel the wrath of Mother Nature this winter: the Northwest. Forecasters are predicting a long, cold and snowy winter there.
Also, for the second year in a row, natural gas prices are lower than average. But as gas prices drop, heating oil costs are skyrocketing. So now may be a good time to think about switching to natural gas if it’s feasible.
And of course there are the old tried-and-true methods to lower your heating bill, such as:
- Find the right setting. Most offices set the thermostat at around 74 degrees, but is it necessary to go that high? If you spy employees walking around in short sleeves come winter, then it’s definitely worthwhile to fiddle with the temperature.
- Tread lightly with temperature changes. When it comes to changing the temp in your office, the smallest changes make a difference. Even an adjustment of one degree on the thermostat over an eight-hour period can yield noticeable savings. Plus, lowering the temp slowly will make complaints from staffers less likely.
