Heating systems and HVAC crews working overtime in extreme cold

MARLTON, N.J. (WPVI) -- When the temperatures are sub-freezing, the last thing you want to hear from your heating system is a weird noise.

"There's been like a vibration, kind of like a rumbling noise," said David Mazgajewski of Marlton.

In his basement, we met up with a crew from R.P.M. Heating and Air Conditioning who was busy during this cold snap.

"Yeah, heaters are working more. We get a lot more service calls the colder it gets. Just like in the summer, the hotter it gets the more service we get," said service supervisor Ray Moore.

This job just needed a replacement part to fix the noise, but they've also had emergency calls.

One crew was even working until midnight last night.

"We're 24 hours. If you have no heat, we are coming," said Moore.

Moore says aside from regular maintenance, don't try to fix an issue or install anything yourself - it could make the problem worse.

And with so many furnaces working overtime this week, PECO says it's likely folks will be seeing higher energy bills.

Officials say there are some easy things you can do to help.

"Don't heat unused areas of your home. Make sure that you block those off and close vents in areas that you're not using because you don't want to heat an empty space," said PECO spokesperson Greg S'more. "And take advantage of the sun's heat. If you can open up your blinds, let the natural sunlight come in and heat your home."

On Wednesday morning, power grid operator PJM saw record high energy use through the 13 states they cover - and that includes our area.

They say the last time winter electricity demand was this high was in February 2015.

"We use this for planning purposes and for forecasting for next winter and for years to come," said Susan Buehler, chief information officer for PJM.

PECO has more information about usage, billing and financial assistance here: Bill Support | PECO - An Exelon Company