Why Is My Electric Bill High?
How to Lower Your Electric Bill
No one wants to spend more than they need to on their electric bill. Have you ever wondered what you’re actually paying for? We’re going to break down what contributes to your electric bill and what you can do to lower the costs.
What Uses the Most Electricity in Your Home?
Air conditioning and heating are what use the most electricity in your home. Almost half of your energy consumption comes from your HVAC system. It’s important to keep up with maintenance to ensure maximum efficiency. Make sure to call your local HVAC company to schedule tune-ups twice a year.
What Else Can You Do to Lower Costs Related to Your HVAC Unit?
- Use ceiling fans
- Use natural light in the winter and let the sun warm up your home
- Use extra blankets in the winter
- Don’t block your vents
- Change your air filters every 3 months
- Clean your vents
- Get a programmable or smart thermostat
Should You Worry About Media Equipment?
Your television, electronic devices, and gaming consoles—how much do they actually contribute to your electric bill? Media equipment takes up the least amount of energy consumption at around 5%. Do you have a television in a spare room that you don’t use? Try unplugging it and see if there’s a difference in your bills.
How Much Does Your Water Heater Contribute to Your Electric Bill?
Your water heater contributes to on average 14% of your energy consumption. To cut costs on this portion of your bill, here are some things you can do:
- Insulate hot water pipes
- Turn hot water down when you leave for long periods of time
- Turn your water temperature to 120 degrees or lower
- Switch out traditional shower heads and faucets to water-conserving options
What Can You Do to Conserve Energy with Appliances?
Collectively, your appliances can contribute significantly to your electric bill. Here are some tips to help reduce these costs:
- Don’t overload your refrigerator
- Set your refrigerator and freezer to the manufacturer’s recommended temperature
- Clean the coils on your fridge. If they’re dirty, your fridge could be working extra hard, leading to more energy consumption
- Let your dishes air dry
- Only wash full loads
- Don’t open oven door when it’s on
- Keep kitchen fans turned off when not needed
- Use a toaster oven, toaster, crockpot, or smaller appliance instead of the oven
- Wash full loads of laundry only
- Wash with cold water
- Clean the lint out after every single load
- Air dry clothes
Some of these may seem a bit inconvenient, but with consistency they can help reduce costs. Give them a try.
Turn Off Your Lights
You’ve probably always been told to “turn off the lights when you leave the room.” There’s truth in that statement. Other than turning the lights off, how else can you help lower the electric bill?
- Switch traditional lights to LED lights
- Use natural lighting
- Put decorative lights on a timer
- Use motion detection lights for outdoors
- Use motion detection lights for bathrooms
We hope this has helped you understand what contributes to your electric bill. If you’d like to explore high-efficiency HVAC systems or electrical services that can help reduce your energy consumption, give HomeSense a call at 317-243-3581.
