Talk about a mild winter in Virginia this year!
Not only are spring buds coming out a month or two early in many spots. But we know people across our service area in central and southwestern Virginia who actually had to run their air conditioners on a couple of the hottest days.
Running the AC aside, warm winters are usually good news for your electric bill. With a frigid winter, we always get calls from people who are shocked by the high bills from running their baseboard heat or electric furnace. But this year, Virginians have been getting a break on their electric bills.
And that’s a break that families certainly deserve. Yet, it’s also good to think ahead, to when those electric bills might start going up again in the spring but especially in July and August.
Virginia’s Forecast for Spring and Summer
That time could come this summer, or even in the spring, according to The Weather Network’s Spring 2017 Forecast.
First, we already know that winter in most of the eastern United States, including Virginia, has been much warmer than usual so far. And officially, winter still has another three weeks left. While Virginia could see a few freezes and even some snow, overall, forecasters think that temperatures will continue above normal.
Second, spring is shaping up to be hotter than usual too. As the Weather Network explains,
Many across southern and eastern states have already seen several extended periods of spring-like warmth during the latter half of winter, and that trend is expected to continue during the spring thanks to a stronger than normal ridge of high pressure across the Southeast and much warmer than normal ocean water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Eastern Seaboard.
Third, across the country, summer will probably also be hotter than usual. (At this point, you may be starting to wonder if “usual” matters anymore. Maybe they’ll have to change the definition of normal temperatures at some point if things keep heating up.)
As the forecast explains,
Overall, we expect widespread warmer than normal conditions to spread across most of the country this summer. This summer’s pattern will be influenced at least somewhat by a developing El Nino pattern in the equatorial Pacific, though it remains to be seen exactly what type of El Nino event this will be, and how strong it will ultimately become.
On the other hand, the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts that across the Appalachian region, which includes most of central and southwest Virginia, we could see some relief from the heat. “Summer will be cooler and rainier than normal, with the hottest periods in mid-July and mid-August. Tropical rains will bring a chance of flooding in mid-June.”
July and August Will Be Hot No Matter What
Of course, long-range forecasts are less accurate than the weekly weather outlook. At this point, it’s hard to tell if the above average temperatures that Virginia has experienced over the winter so far will continue into the summer.
Still, it’s a good bet that July and August will be scorchers, as they always have been in Virginia. The summer months could be record-breaking hot and sticky. Or they could just be normal hot and sticky, which is bad enough.
Either way, it’s also safe to predict that the low electric bills that Virginians have enjoyed in January and February won’t least into July and August. Whether heat records shatter or not, most of us can expect to pay hundreds of dollars extra for air conditioning come summer.
Solar Can Help with Summer AC Bills but Timing is Key
Going solar at home can cut your power bills by 50% or more. Some of our customers, such as Wayne Moore in Roanoke and Mark Rathke in Bridgewater, have seen their electric bills cut down almost to zero.
But if you want to cut your summer AC costs, the time to ask about solar is not when you’ve nearly fainted after opening up your July electric bill.
The time to get solar for this summer is now. Solar installers tend to be busy in the spring when everybody else is thinking about solar. If they’re too busy on other jobs, a solar installer may even have to delay your installation or put you on a waiting list.
The end of winter is the right time to start planning out your solar strategy for the hottest months of the year. If you contact solar installers now before the seasonal rush starts, you’re more likely to get a faster response and a faster installation.
We always suggest that you get quotes from at least two solar installers before you accept a quote. Read our advice with 7 other tips to find a reputable solar installation company.
Then, contact us for a free quote and we’ll get back with you quickly to help you decide if solar makes sense for your home and if so, how much you could save this summer and for years to come.
— Andrew Brenner, Main Street Solar
