Understanding how much energy you use in your home is the first step toward making smart energy-saving decisions. Choose from the commonly-asked energy use questions below for more information.
A. To get started, here are three of the best ways we know to save energy:
Keep inside air in and outside air out. Insulate, weatherstrip, and caulk cracks and holes.
Adjust your thermostat higher in warm weather and lower in cool weather so your heating and cooling systems don't have to work so hard.
Conserve energy. Turn off lights, TV sets, appliances, and other electricity users when not needed.
Electrical use is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), in the same way gallons are used to measure gasoline. One kWh equals 1,000 watts of electricity used during one hour.
The amount of electricity used during each billing period is in the far right column of your statement, under "Electricity Usage."
For a detailed explanation of your statement, visit Understanding Your Bill.
Some of the most common causes of higher-than-expected electric bills are weather-related.
In hot weather, your electric bill may reflect:
- Higher-than average air conditioning use.
- Extended use of swimming pool and spa pumps.
- Increased energy needed to keep refrigerators and freezers cold.
In cold weather, you may use more energy when:
- Heating systems are in use more.
- Portable electric heaters are in use.
- More lighting is required for longer nights.
- Holiday lighting and appliances are used for entertaining.
- Your electric bill may also affected by:
- More days than average in the billing period.
- A previous unpaid balance.
The balance from multiple accounts included on your bill.
Though we can boast meter reading accuracy of more than 98%, sometimes errors do occur. If you think the meter reading on your bill is in error, you can you can contact us at 1-800-655-4555.