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Wind storms, rain storms, cold. We’ve been talking about protecting your house from all sorts of elements. However, sometimes the storms are of the financial variety.

In this blog and the next we’ll discuss ways to stay warm and comfortable and save money on your energy bill. January is such a tough month in many ways. Many folks are still paying off Christmas bills at the same time the cost to run a household typically goes up.

We want to help! Here are some things you can do now to save on your energy bill as well as things you can consider later for long-term savings.

HEATING AND COOLING

In most places, the higher energy bills come with cold, dark winters. Lights are on longer and the cost to heat the house is likely consuming the largest piece of a seasonal energy pie. The good news is that making some changes like LED lights and how you heat your house can put your energy bill on a diet.

But for starters, and regardless of your mode of heating, don’t forget to wear layers of clothes in...

Recently we’ve had a bit of stormy weather and some power outages around the Harbor. And the experts say that weather patterns could be changing and our future may include a period of more severe weather events – and that means more outages.

Around here we are grateful for not only relatively inexpensive power, but also a reliable energy system compared to the rest of the world.

We’ve talked a lot recently about what to do to prepare for a power outage, and last week we gave some specific reminders about safely using generators. However, we thought it would also be helpful to add some tips how to live your life as safely and comfortably as possible when the power is out. (You may even want to print out a copy of this to put in the box of emergency supplies along with your flashlights, matches, and extra water.)

Here are some tips from the Grays Harbor PUD – our local experts – on what to do when the power goes out.

WHEN POWER IS OUT

• If your power is out, check to see if other houses in...

We hope your Christmas was merry and bright! Today we will share a few more tips about preparing your home for windy weather.

Last week we mentioned the recent tornado that devastated a neighborhood in Port Orchard, which isn’t that far from here. While tornados are very rare in Western Washington, it seems we’re seeing new weather patterns lately.

During the winter storm of 2007, hurricane force gusts and howling winds went on for days, peeling off more than 100 roofs. Part of the aftermath of that storm for most of us was power outages that lasted five days or longer. We all learned something about being prepared – or what life is like when you’re not.

In addition to checking the soundness of your roof, windows, doors and garage doors before a storm, it’s important to clean out gutters and storm drains to help prevent leaks and damage to your house.

For the details of what to look for in your roof, windows, doors and garage doors, check out last week’s column posted on our website at www...

Whew! The winds of winter certainly have made themselves known lately!

In our blog last week, we talked about how to report power outages and how to stay safe in windy weather. Since then, hundreds of people in Grays Harbor were without power because of a major windstorm. We’re glad we were able to give you some basics about generator safety because it looks like more than a few of you needed to rely on generators this past week!

While we aren’t weather forecasters, we’d place our bets that we haven’t seen the last of the windstorms for the season. So, today we will add some more safety tips on operating generators.

SAFELY USE GENERATORS

Used properly, generators can mean light, heat and comfort during a storm or power outage. They can be true lifesavers. However, used improperly they can be life-takers.

So, if you own a generator, take some time before the lights go out (or go out again) to review the generator’s manufacturer’s directions so that you can plan ahead where to safely p...

Happy New Year! It looks like 2019 is coming in with an attitude. And that means we need to be prepared!

Officially winter has barely begun with the winter solstice on Dec. 21 this year. That’s the shortest day and therefore the night is the longest of the year.

That means we have plenty of winter left. So far, what we’ve lacked in snow fall, we’ve gained in wind – in spades!

Our recent blogs have touched on protecting yourself and your home in the wind. Take a look at them on our website at www.nwgh.org.

Power outages are often the result of stormy weather. With more than two and a half months of winter ahead of us, we thought it would be a good time to review how to prepare for a power outage.

During the summer when a car crash or aged equipment causes a power outage, it simply doesn’t have the impact an outage has during the cold, wet and windy, short days of winter. Plus, because of weather and icy roads, there typically are just more outages during the fall and winter months in We...