WHY IS MY ELECTRIC BILL HIGH?

Nobody wants to spend more on their electricity bill than is absolutely necessary. Have you ever wondered what you’re actually paying for? It’s your lucky day! We’ll explain why your electricity bill is high and what you can do to reduce the costs.

What uses the most electricity in your home?

Air conditioning and heating are the elements that use the most electricity in your home. Almost half of your energy usage comes from your HVAC system. It is important to follow maintenance to ensure maximum efficiency. Be sure to call your local HVAC company twice a year to schedule maintenance.

What else can you do to reduce the cost of 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
• Do not 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 TV, your electronic devices, your gaming console. How much do they really contribute to your electric bill? The simple answer is: multimedia devices use the least amount of energy at around 5%. Do you have a TV in a guest room that you don’t use? Unplug and see if your bills are different!

How Much Does Your Water Heater Contribute to Your Electric Bill?

Your water heater contributes an average of 14% to your energy consumption. To reduce the cost of this part of your bill, you can do the following:

• 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

What can you do to Conserve energy with Appliances?

Combined, your devices can cause a high electricity bill. Figuring out how to cut these costs may seem impossible, but we have some tips for you!

• Do not overload your refrigerator
• Set your refrigerator and freezer to the manufacturers recommended temperature
• Clean the coils on your fridge. If they are dirty, your fridge could be working extra hard, leading to more energy consumption
• Let your dishes air dry
• Only wash full loads
• Do not open oven door when it is on
• Keep kitchen and fans turned off
• Use a toaster oven, toaster, crockpot or smaller appliance over 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 annoying, but if done consistently, the costs could be reduced significantly. Try it!

Turn off your lights!

I’m sure you’ve always been told, “Turn off the lights when you leave the room!” » There is truth in this statement. Aside from turning off the lights, how can you help reduce your 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 helped you understand what actually contributes to your electric bill. If you want to save money, call McBride Lighting & Electrical at 303-647-9221 for more information about the high-efficiency HVAC systems and electrical services we can offer to reduce your energy consumption!