Energy

 

Heating Degree Days Today	59.2
Heating Degree Days Month to Date	1.6
Heating Degree Days this Year	5299.4
Cooling Degree Days Today	3.4
Cooling Degree Days Month to Date	0.0
Cooling Degree Days this Year	77.5

 

Heating degree days represents the difference between some predetermined inside house temperature (here it is 68° F) and the outside temperature while cooling degree days represents the difference between some predermined inside house (here it is 78° F) temperature and the outside temperature

Note that heating degree days starts on September 30th and runs through May of the following year. Cooling degree days starts on June 1st and runs through September 30th. Degree days are used with the "K factor" of a dwelling to determine how much energy is consumed. Oil companies use degree days with a K factor to determine when to schedule deliveries given a certain size tank. The K factor converts degree days into gallons of oil, but you can easily use it for gas or electricity. For oil companies they set degree days to 0 after a delivery. Then degree days are accumulated. Degree days divided by the K factor tells how much oil is consumed. When the tank reaches some predetermined level, another delivery is scheduled.

Cooling degree days are used with a similar factor to determine how much energy is consumed cooling the house.