When should I turn on my emergency heat? And some tips to keep the heating bill at bay

It is cold across Tennessee and temperatures aren't expected to get much above the freezing point this week across the state. The cold snap also means paying a bit more to keep warm.

A winter storm dumped snow and ice across the mid-Atlantic and New England starting Monday night and is expected to continue through Tuesday night, AccuWeather said. The storm, along with a wall of arctic air, is in the forecast for most of the nation over the next few days.

"For much of the country, this will end up being the coldest and most persistent outbreak of arctic air in a couple of winters," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Benz said.

With Nashville, and much of Tennessee, still blanketed under inches of snow and fighting bitterly cold temperatures already this latest blast could have many Tennesseans reaching to bump up the thermostat higher, and wondering if it's time for the emergency heat.

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What is emergency heat?

Tennesseans don't deal with the same winters like people up North or in South Dakota do, so you may never have needed to turn on your emergency heat before, but if your house is getting a bit chilly and the thermostat doesn't look like its budging it may be time.

Emergency heat, which is a secondary heating source in your HVAC system, is usually used when the outside temperature is too cold for the heat pump to keep a home warm.

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Activating the emergency heat isn't hard, but it isn't something that kicks on automatically. The “em heat” setting on a thermostat indicates your emergency heat has been activated, you might have to toggle through different settings to find it. But to run it isn't cheap.

"As a friendly reminder, the emergency heat mode will cause your heating system to work harder and may dramatically increase your bill," Nashville Electric Service posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

When should I use my emergency heat?

If the heat pump in your home freezes over or becomes damaged, then you should switch to emergency heat and call an HVAC service provider, according to HVAC.com.

The heat pump emergency heat setting, usually seen as "em heat" on a digital thermostat, is used when the heat pump needs a break to avoid system damage. It is also helpful in warming your home in below-freezing temperatures.

Just remember, this emergency heat mode will continue to run until you manually turn it off.

Tips to save money on energy during winter weather

Winter can be costly just trying to stay warm. Here are some tips to save even a little bit of money without freezing from Nashville Electric Service.

• Adjust your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower and bundle up in a cozy sweater, warm socks or a blanket.

• Set your water heater’s temperature at 120° F.

• Keep your garage door closed to buffer colder outdoor air from trickling into your home.

• Use exhaust fans sparingly to avoid pulling extra warm air out of your home.

• Open your curtains or blinds on south-facing windows during the day to allow natural sunlight to heat your home.

• If you haven’t already, add weather-stripping or caulk around leaky windows and doors. Block drafts with tight-fitting, insulating drapes or shades.

• Replace your air filter and schedule routine maintenance regularly so your heating system runs safely and efficiently.

• Keep the fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning.

• Use LED lighting and holiday light strings.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Should I turn on my emergency heat? What to know