What costs the most on your electric bill? Heating and cooling are by far the greatest energy users in the home, making up around 40% of your electric bill. Other big users are washers, dryers, ovens, and stoves. Electronic devices like laptops and TVs are usually pretty cheap to run, but of course, it can all add up.
Greater Use of Home & Devices
You may run your air conditioner more or keep your heat higher to be comfortable. Your computer, printer and other electronics will draw energy all day. You may need brighter lighting, too. You can reduce the impact by using efficient lighting and devices.
Faulty electrical wiring could cause a sudden increase in electricity consumption, or your electrical meter may be broken. If you continue to see a higher than expected electricity bill, even after taking all of the necessary steps to troubleshoot the exact cause, it may be time to call a certified electrician.
So if you still find your electric bill increasing, there may be issues you need to address in your own home. The most common contributing factors are outdated appliances, thermostats, lightbulbs, or insufficient insulation.
If you live in an apartment or condo, a running toilet may also cause your electric bill to go up. This is because some apartments and condos add a little hot water to the toilet tank to prevent condensation on the tank.
The most common reasons for a big jump in your electric bill include changes in your lifestyle, increased usage of energy-hungry appliances, and sudden weather changes.
Did you know that when your appliances or electronic devices are plugged in, they're draining energy – even if they're not in use? Phantom power, also called standby power, refers to the energy that's wasted around your home when devices are plugged in and using power, but you're not actively using them.
What uses electricity at night? There are two groups of appliances using electricity at night: Appliances you are using intentionally and appliances that are sucking energy while they are “off” but still plugged in. Appliances that you run intentionally at night can include: Air conditioning and fans.
Use the Energy Rating Calculator
You can use online tools to work out how much energy each of your appliances is likely to be using. The Energy Rating Calculator shows expected energy usage, and estimated running cost of many appliances. You can: input the brand and model of the appliance.
Ceiling fans, tower fans, and box fans typically range from 40 to 100 watts of power when operating at full speed. This amount of electricity is not very much, especially compared to the other appliances and electronics in your home. At its lowest setting, a fan may only use about 10 to 30 watts.
To get specifics regarding your energy usage, you need an electricity usage monitor that tells you exactly how many kWh a device or appliance is drawing. It can be as simple as a "plug load" monitor that plugs into an outlet. You then plug the device/appliance into the monitor.
Old windows and drafty attic spaces with air leaks are common culprits behind unusually high electric bills. Invest in new energy-efficient windows with better seals and glass, and make sure attic and basement spaces have proper insulation. The investment today will save you money on your bill down the road.
Even when turned off, the majority of modern kettles draw 30W (watts) of electricity each hour. That means a year of keeping your water kettle plugged in, you've spent 64p of electricity not using it.
Any appliance with an LCD, light, or clock, such as your DVD or DVR player, cable box, television, or microwave, consumes electricity even when turned off. Sleep or standby power mode devices are never entirely turned off; instead, they go into standby mode.
Feel the heat? That's wasted electricity—technically, it's called "no load mode," but in reality it's just another vampire. According to the Berkeley Lab's testing, cell phone chargers in no load mode consume around 0.26 watts, and laptop chargers, 4.42 watts.
How much electricity does a TV use? Generally, TVs use between 50 to 200 watts (W) of electricity, depending on the model. Most TVs use less than one amp and connect to a 120-volt outlet. Older TVs that use technology such as Plasma and CRT are much less efficient compared to newer LED and LCD TVs.
Check your meter.
A final check you can safely perform yourself is to go to your meter and turn off all the circuit breakers. Then watch the meter—if it continues to go up, something is still pulling power from your connection.
Whether you're using your air conditioner in summer or your furnace in winter, this makes up the biggest expense on your electricity bill. In fact, heating and cooling account for close to half of an average household's energy usage. The next highest contributor to your electricity bill is your water heater.
What happens if a toilet runs all night? If a toilet runs all night it will waste water and increase your water bill. Excess water can potentially flood your septic tank and lead to failure and saturation of your drain field.
The real issue lies in other appliances that are constantly drawing power, like refrigerators, televisions, and devices plugged into outlets. Hot Water Heater: One of the biggest energy consumers when you're not at home is your electric hot water heater.