Have you recently received your energy bill and wondered why it is so high? Rising energy prices can put every commercial property owner and homeowner at a fix. Of course, electricity is necessary for every step of our life. From powering your home and devices to recharging your electric cars, the demand for electricity is ever-increasing. But every now and then you might get a higher-than-usual electricity bill that can impact your budget heavily.
This is when you should be asking questions to your commercial electrician. Sometimes your bill amount is directly proportional to the consumption of electricity. But if that’s not the case, you have reasons to worry. Hence you should be asking questions about how to lower your bill and understand the factors causing the high energy bills to live an uninterrupted life. After all, maintaining a low electricity bill can allow you to use the same fund for other expenses in your business or home. In this article, we will talk about “how much is too much” and “common things that you should know about saving on electricity bills.”
What Is The Average Electricity Bill?
Build a point of comparison to decode your electricity bill. Understand what others are paying so that you can determine if you are being overcharged. There are also many companies that can charge you more for electricity rates. For instance, according to EIA, the average bill in Texas is $131 whereas the average bill in Ohio is $114. So you can pull up statistics of your area and ask your neighbors about their electricity bills.
Questions To Ask About Saving On Electricity Bills:
- Is Your Family Spending More Time At Home?
Once the pandemic broke out in 2020, families are spending more time at home as they are either working or studying from home. This can result in a spike in your energy bills as your family members will be constantly using and recharging their gadgets along with using the appliances of the home more. You can adopt some of the energy-saving practices like swapping your most used light fixtures with LED bulbs with energy star labels and installing dimmer switches to suit the required ambiance while saving energy.
- What Are Vampire Appliances?
Appliances that consume power even when they are turned off like your computer, television set, and Xbox can add to your power bill. Simply turning off these vampire appliances might not be enough to stop them from consuming electricity. Hence you should turn the power strips off. Moreover, many modern-day appliances come with standby modes which means they are designed to turn on quickly. But they can consume electricity even when they are not in use and hence should be completely unplugged.
- How Much Electricity Are My Gadgets And Devices Using?
Nowadays everything is designed to consume energy in some way or the other. From smart kitchen sinks and smart toilet seats to smart home lights, it can be sometimes difficult to sort out how much energy each of these products is consuming. Thankfully there are devices that can be used to measure the amount of power these single appliances consume. Also, read the product descriptions while buying or installing to understand more about their power consumption.
- How Is The Weather In Your Area?
The weather in your region can significantly impact your monthly power bills. For example, if your region experiences hot summers or snow-covered winters, your air conditioning and heating bills might increase.
- What Are Tdu Charges?
Also known as TDSP charges, TDU delivery charges are paid to your local utility company to maintain wires and poles in your area. Also, the supplier of your electricity is responsible for getting you a fair rate on electricity, but the local infrastructure and its maintenance are the jobs of your utility. So check if your electricity supplier is presenting advertising their rates without mentioning these charges as many customers believe their advertisements and get shocked on their first bills.
- How Often Should You Charge Your Devices?
Ask yourself how often you charge your laptop or mobile. Do you have the habit of keeping your charger on even when your device is not charging? This can lead to an increase in electricity bills. You don’t have to put your gadgets in charge all the time. If you do then it’s time to replace the batteries.
There are many reasons why your energy can go up at any time of the year. From rinsing dishes before putting them into the dishwasher to running your washing machine without reaching its full capacity, there are many reasons why there might be a rising energy bill. If you want to make your home or place of business more energy efficient, get in touch with a reputable commercial electrician service provider in your area to find out the root causes.
