It’s that time of the month again… The electric company has read your meter and issued your electric bill. And regardless of if you receive your bill in the mail or electronically, it all reads the same: HIGH.

As you fight with yourself to figure out how to pay the bill this month, it dawns on you to get to the bottom of why your bill is so high.

The reasons you could have a high electric bill are infinite, but if you want any shot at lowering it, it’s not going to hurt to look into all the different reasons and work to reduce your bill, right? The obvious reason is that there’s something you’re doing or not doing. But let’s dig a little deeper into what the possible causes could be and the solutions.

If you find yourself doing or not doing these things, you’ll then know what you need to do or stop doing!

Common Reasons You’re Seeing a High Electric Bill Every Month

You’re Not Using Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs

In your mind, a light bulb is a light bulb, right? As long as it lights a room, what’s the big deal? Well, if you’re experiencing unusually high electric bills, the light bulbs you’re using can make it a big deal.

True enough, LED light bulbs are a bit more expensive to purchase but can make a world of difference in lowering your electric bill. According to energy.gov, LED light bulbs to use at least 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than traditional incandescent light bulbs. So, if you’re using the standard bulbs in your home, it’d be in your best interest to switch.

You’re Not Unplugging Appliances and Electronics After Use

For electronics and small appliances that you aren’t using, you want to try to remember to always unplug them. Why? Because if you don’t you’re basically paying for electricity you’re not even using. These are what’s called “vampire” appliances because they’re “sucking” energy from those appliances and devices… It does this even when those appliances are supposedly “off” too, so unplugging appliances are just good safety measures and habits to have in general.

Your Electric Provider Generates Electricity From Fossil Fuels

We could all use a refresher in energy-efficiency at home but sometimes, even when you’re being as efficient as you possibly can, your bill is still high, and it forces you to wonder what’s going on and ask yourself “Why is my electric bill high?”. When instances like this happen, that’s when it’s time to go straight to the source… Your electricity provider.

 

Powering your home through non-renewable resources like fossil fuels is expensive, not to mention bad for the environment. By switching to a provider that offers power from renewable resources like the sun, it’s abundant and won’t ever run out… Because of that, it allows your electric bill to be much more affordable. That should be all the reason in the world to see if this option is available in your area.

Windows are Open While the Heating or Cooling Unit is On

When you’re in your car, you wouldn’t have the windows down when you have the AC on, so it’s the same concept with your home… Make sure your windows are closed when your heating and cooling units are running.

 

Sometimes it’s hard to tell. Maybe it’s nice and cool outside where you want to let the fresh cool air in your home… When you decide to do that, you want to make sure you turn your air off before opening your windows. When you’re ready to turn your heat or air back on, make sure you’ve securely closed your window to ensure no air is leaking out.

Extreme Temperatures

Sometimes, there’s just no escaping a high electric bill due to extreme outside temperatures. But you do have control over your home’s indoor temperatures. If it’s 85 degrees outside in the middle of summer, that doesn’t mean you have to set your thermostat to 65 degrees to get it cool… As long as you set your thermostat a few degrees lower than the outside temp, your home will cool off. 

The same thing goes for winter as well. If it’s 37 degrees outside, you don’t have to set your thermostat to 75 degrees to warm your home, you can set it to 45 degrees and simply layer up. 

The whole point is that if you set your thermostat a few degrees above or below the outside temp, your bill will be just fine.

More Ways to Lower Your Utility Bills

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