Energy Tips

Troubleshooting a High Electric Bill

Is Your Electric Bill Higher Than You Expected?

Many factors can contribute to an unexpectedly high electric bill. Understanding these can help you manage your energy use more effectively. Here, we’ll explore some common culprits behind high household power usage and offer suggestions on how to curb your energy use and save money.

Monitor Your Usage With SmartHub

We highly recommend utilizing SmartHub to explore your monthly electric usage online. This tool allows you to track your usage and eliminate guesswork from your bill. Detailed graphs offer insights into your usage patterns 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, helping you identify opportunities to reduce consumption and save.

Seasonal Changes

• Compare Winter to Summer: Examine your kilowatt-hour totals by month. If your winter usage is higher, it might indicate increased heating needs or hot water usage. Similarly, higher summer usage could point to air conditioning demands.
• Extreme temperatures can significantly impact your electric use.

Uninterrupted Appliance Usage

• Your Electric Meter Doesn’t Go on Vacation: Even when you’re not home, plugged-in appliances continue using electricity.
• Be mindful of items like water heaters, freezers, refrigerators, and HVAC systems when planning an extended absence.

Lifestyle Considerations

• Household Changes: Each household’s energy use is unique. Reflect on lifestyle changes, such as increased household size or more time spent at home, which can affect your energy consumption.
• New additions like swimming pools or hot tubs can also increase usage.

Efficient Heating & Cooling

• Optimizing Your System: For electric furnaces or heaters, adjust the thermostat when you’re away to save energy. However, if you have a heat pump, maintaining a consistent temperature is more efficient. For extended absences, set the thermostat no lower than 55°F.
  • A helpful tip for those with heat pumps is to keep the heat stripe on a separate breaker. This allows you to turn the breaker off when it’s not needed, conserving energy and reducing unnecessary usage. Only activate the breaker when absolutely necessary, such as during extremely cold weather.

Lighting, Refrigeration, & Cooking

• Energy Use Breakdown: Lighting, refrigeration, cooking, and appliances make up about 25% of household energy use.
• Ensure refrigerators and freezers are placed away from heat and have proper ventilation.

Equipment Maintenance

• Appliance Efficiency: Older appliances may use more energy. Regular maintenance, such as cleaning or replacing coils and filters, can improve efficiency.
• Consider replacing outdated appliances to reduce energy consumption.

Construction or Remodeling Impact

• Home Changes: Remodeling can temporarily increase energy use. Ensure your heating and cooling systems are adequate for any changes in home size.

Identifying Top Power Culprits

• Appliance Efficiency: Large appliances like dishwashers and washers/dryers can significantly drive up your bill. Use appliances efficiently by running full loads and choosing energy-saving settings.
• Consider upgrading to newer, more efficient models.

Ceiling Fans

• Ceiling Fan Usage: Turn off ceiling fans when not in use and adjust blade direction based on the season for optimal efficiency.

By understanding these factors and making informed adjustments, you can better manage your energy use and keep your electric bills in check.