Ridgefield residents really are hearing a lot of jingling this holiday season — it’s the jingle of money that is being saved as the mild weather spares heating dollars.
But it won’t last all winter, warns Gary Lessor, meteorologist with the Western Connecticut State University Weather Center in Danbury.
The warm fall with December days at 60 degrees has been caused by El Nino, but Lessor said other factors such as the Atlantic oscillation are going to make January and February colder than normal.
“It will be closer to normal in January and colder for snow in February, so we’re having a late bloomer of a winter like last year, although not as extreme as last year,” Lessor said.
Temperatures will be average to below normal and snowfall will be above normal.
How much money people have saved at home this fall varies depending on how high they like to keep the thermostat in the house, even if it is not needed.
At the municipal level, there isn’t enough data from December to show what kinds of savings have occurred. The town and the school district will know better in January what kinds of savings the mild fall has brought.
The town’s savings would be limited because few public buildings are heated with fuel oil. Most have switched to natural gas, and those prices are not stabilized.
“Townwide we don’t use more than 10,000 gallons of heating oil,” said Jerry Gay, purchasing director for the town.
“My gut tells me the savings will not be significant.”
First Selectman Rudy Marconi said it is premature to say whether the town will save money overall this winter because the town must wait to see what temperatures and conditions January, February and March bring.
He remembered that last year had a mild December, too.
“Last year we had a mild December. We thought we might just make it through. Then it happened. The rest is history. It was one of the worst winters we had, with cold temperatures and an incredible amount of snow. So I’m not too quick to begin counting the pennies, but we are cautiously optimistic.”
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