SC faces below freezing weather. Here’s for how long and where to set your thermostat to save money
Snow is headed for much of South Carolina Tuesday evening, but that’s just the start of the winter weather this week.
According to the National Weather Service, much of the state will face below freezing temperatures through Saturday. Below freezing is when temperatures drop below 32 degrees.
The NWS has already issued a cold weather advisory for the state that is set to last through at least Wednesday. A cold weather advisory is issued when wind chill is expected to fall to 9 degrees or less.
SC temperature forecast
While daily temperatures this week will be in the chilly 30s and 40s for much of South Carolina, it’s the nightly lows that are the real concern. For the Midlands, the coldest night will be on Wednesday, when lows are expected to drop into the mid teens, the NWS states. Lows the rest of the week will drop into the low 20s.
In the Upstate, areas like Greenville may experience lows as cold as 15 degrees Tuesday and Wednesday evening, followed by night temperatures barely above 20 degrees on Thursday and Friday.
Even coastal areas like Charleston any Myrtle Beach are expected to have lows in the 20s all week, the NWS states.
Thermostat setting in SC
With frosty temperatures on the way, residents will be tempted to crank up the heat in their homes. However, all that extra heat won’t be cheap.
What’s actually the best temperature to set your thermostat to save the most money during this extra cold weather?
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to around 68 degrees to 70 degrees while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home to save energy in the winter.
“During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature,” the Department of Energy states.
Staying Comfortable
Carolina Comfort Inc., a Columbia-based HVAC company, notes that 68 degrees is a great temperature to target, since it’s warm enough to keep most people from shivering, while still low enough to avoid wasting money or straining your heater.
“Too much strain could lead you to install a new heating system,” Carolina Comfort states.
