JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The First Coast's recent streak of rain — now at 13 consecutive days — is impacting more than just your outdoor plans.
Experts with Jacksonville-based First Florida Credit Union say thanks to the rainy day streak, you may see a difference in your utility bill this month.
For starters, experts say your air conditioner doesn't have to work as hard to cool your home when temperatures reach highs in the low 80s instead of the 90s.
"We are hoping that we can add some to our monthly budget because we're not going to be running our AC's as much," said First Florida Credit Union Digital Marketing Manager Ashleigh Robinson. "We can bump those thermostats up or turn them off."
However, some residents may see an increase in energy usage because the rainy forecasts are forcing people to do activities inside their homes.
“We've been spending a lot more time at home and so, we are increasing our energy usage in some other areas, [via] utilizing our lights, [using] a lot more our appliances,” said Robinson.
And in terms of your yard, you hopefully haven't used your sprinklers since Labor Day.
Robinson told First Coast News installing a water sensor or adjusting your watering days can prevent increased costs to your water bill and drainage system. She also advises to take advantage of the excess rain water hitting the region.
“Something that homeowners can do is look at maybe installing a rain barrel to collect some of this rain," Robinson said. "Again, we're looking to utilize those natural resources to the best of our ability and so, a rain barrel can help you with watering some of those outdoor plants in your garden, things like that, just to maximize this rain that we've been having."
In addition, the constant rain may be a good way to check water prone parts of your home.
“Use this opportunity to check your home for leaks," said Robinson. "Your roof, your doors, your windows, make sure you're good because if you can get in front of a potentially very costly problem and tackle it while it's a smaller, then you're going to see a lot of savings there. And of course, like we've talked about, just adjusting your AC being proactive about doing that. So many of us are on smart home thermostats. We don't really go in and adjust our AC on a regular basis."
Robinson adds that traditionally, the summer is the most expensive time for utilities overall.