You might have received your electric bill and you couldn’t believe your eyes. The bill was too high. You call the power company and nop; they haven’t made a mistake. The bill is correct. Getting to the bottom of the sudden increase of your electric bill can seem like a daunting task. But it’s not! To find out why your bill suddenly shot up, you have to check your electricity usage. The major culprits to high electric consumption are electric appliances.
Do you want to find out more about the common causes of high electricity bills? Please read on!
1. Do You Use An Electric Furnace?
One of the major culprits of high electric bills is your electric furnace. During winter, the furnace works hard to ensure the house remains warm and cozy. The cost of operating an electric furnace is much higher than operating a gas or propane furnace.
Although the furnace might be more expensive to operate, it's crucial to ensure it’s working at its optimum. The professionals at electricitymonster.com.au state that if your furnace, for example, has clogged-up filters, it will work twice as hard to warm your house. The increased strain will consequently increase its power consumption. It's advisable to change or clean your furnace’s filters at least once per month to avoid this from happening.
It's critical to insulate your house to make it easier for the furnace to keep your house warm. Proper insulation prevents the cold air from outside from sipping into the house. The insulation also keeps the hot air inside.
2. Conduct Constant Maintenance On Your Fridge
Refrigerators are essential for preserving your food. But they can be a source of the high electric bills. Ideally, a fridge should serve you well for 13 to 18 years without any issues. But unfortunately, that’s usually not the case. When a fridge clocks ten years, its performance starts to decline. The door seals begin to wear off. When this happens, the cold air inside the fridge starts to escape. As a result, the fridge has to work more to keep the food inside cool. The more the fridge works, the more power it consumes.
It’s not only the door seals that wear off. Other components like the compressor and motor also wear off. These components work at a less than optimal level which increases the fridge’s power consumption. To prevent the fridge from becoming inefficient and consume more power, you should have it inspected yearly, especially from its tenth year. Make sure a professional technician carries out the inspection. Replace the defective parts so that they can run at their optimum.
3. The Misuse Of Your Lighting Bulbs
Bulbs are critical in your house. Apart from providing light, they also make your home welcoming and add ambiance. Using bulbs in the wrong way can drastically increase your power bill. At times, it's not necessary to light all your bulbs in the living room. Light the bulbs you need to provide sufficient light.
Another mistake that could cause your electric bill to skyrocket is leaving your light bulbs on in rooms nobody’s using. Always switch off the lights when you leave a room and there’s no one else. The older generation incandescent light bulbs use much more power as compared to the LED lights.
4. Ceiling Fans
Fans come in handy, especially on those hot summer days. They regulate the temperature and make the room habitable. One of the downsides of fans is that they only cool down the room in which they are installed. Like light bulbs, only switch on the ceiling fan if there are people in the room. Otherwise, when you leave fans running, they will needlessly consume power.
Electric gadgets, especially those that need charging
Gadgets are other culprits which could be pushing your power bill through the roof. Gadgets such as:
- Phones
- Laptops
- TV
- Home theater
- Electric toothbrushes etc
The more gadgets you have, the more power they consume. Most modern devices do not “truly” switch off. The best solution is to ensure you unplug your adapter from the socket if you are not using the device.
Additionally, only charge your smartphone or laptop only when they need to be charged. Don’t leave your devices on the power socket for a longer time than is necessary. Overcharging your devices not only costs you money in terms of electric bills but also reduces their shelf life.
At times, you might get shocked when you receive your electric bill. The bill can be way higher than you usually use or expect. Some of the most common causes of high electric bills include furnaces, using outdated electric devices, misusing light bulbs, and overcharging your gadgets. If you want to regulate your power consumption, check to address the common causes of high electricity bills in your home
