Heating Degree Days

Definition: Heating your home in the winter means a lot of money spent of fuels. The amount of power used in conjunction with the outside temperature gives you the heating degree days. The National Weather Service uses this information to calculate and estimate the climate normals on a monthly and yearly basis. Homes and businesses can also use the information to calculate the costs of adding insulation and other energy saving improvements to their properties.

The magic number for heating degree days is 65 degrees Fahrenheit. In order for a home to maintain an internal temperature of 70 degrees, fuel consumption is needed below 65 degrees.

In order to calculate the heating degree days, you must first find the daily mean temperature. Add the high and low together, then divide by 2. This is the average temperature for the day. 65 degrees minus the average temperature you just found gives you the heating degree days.

While this information may not mean much to the average person, once the coldest winter months set in, you will notice it takes more to heat your home. Many power supply companies will indicate the average temperatures for a month so you can monitor your own fuel consumption. If the average for the month is way below 65 degrees, you can expect to pay more for heating.