Is Your Energy Bill Suddenly Too High? Here’s What to Do
No one ever really likes paying their energy bills, but we do it anyway so we can literally keep the lights on. It’s not so painful when you know when to expect them and you’re prepared to pay them. But one thing that can cause a problem is when you get your usual energy bill and it’s much higher than usual. It’s a bit of a shock when your bill is demanding you pay more than you would usually be expected to pay, and you might be confused as to what’s going on. If you’re sure your bill isn’t normal and can’t think what it could be, consider the following options.
Query It with Your Energy Company
Your first port of call may be to query the amount you’ve been billed with your energy company. In some cases, they have made a mistake and it merely needs to be corrected. Find out which number to call to get in touch and ask them to take another look at your bill. It’s often best to do these things by phone because you’ll get to speak to a real person who can handle it for you. If you’re lucky, your bill isn’t really that high and your energy provider will correct it for you.
Consider Any Changes in Your Habits
Sometimes you can be shocked by a high energy bill because you don’t realize that something you have been doing is using up a lot of energy. Think about whether you’ve changed your habits recently and if that could have led to a higher energy bill. Are you using a new appliance or piece of equipment that you weren’t using before? For example, maybe you’ve been running a space heater every day for a couple of hours. It might not seem like a big deal, but these can use up a lot of energy and the costs can build up over time.
If you’ve been at home more, especially if you’re working from home, you can expect your energy bills to go up. You might want to consider thinking of ways to reduce your usage while you’re at home. Or perhaps you’re using more hot water, which is using up energy to heat the water. Maybe you’re using a certain appliance more or you’ve turned on your sprinklers. All of these things can be managed to make sure that your energy bill isn’t too high.
Check Your HVAC Efficiency
Your HVAC system is one of the things that’s sure to use up a lot of energy in your home. Whether you’re heating your home or trying to keep it cool, it can result in high energy bills if you’re not careful. Of course, part of it is making sure you set your thermostat at the right temperature so you’re not using too much energy to either heat or cool your home. But you should also check for efficiency and if there are any problems causing high energy bills. If you hire a trusted air conditioning repair company to come out and check your system, you can ensure it’s working properly. Regular servicing is a good way to keep everything efficient and working as it should.
Don’t forget to check your thermostat and try to keep it at an efficient level. You might think that you have it at a good temperature, but we can all sometimes let it keep creeping up or down when we change it by just a couple of degrees. Before you know it, you’ve made your home much cooler or warmer than it really needs to be. And, on top of that, you’ve got used to it, so you don’t realize that you could change it and still be comfortable.
Assess Your Appliances and Electronics
A high energy bill could be caused by one of your appliances. It could be that one of your appliances is no longer as efficient as it was, or it might be that it’s using energy when you don’t want or need it to. One thing you can check is whether an appliance is getting left on or even turning itself on unexpectedly. Some appliances and devices will also use energy even in standby mode, so turning them off completely can solve the problem. This could be a possible cause of high energy bills. Another issue could be an appliance that has started to use more energy than it used to. Consider any that are getting older and might be raising your energy bi
Ask Your Kids/Partner/Housemates
You might not know why your energy bill is suddenly so high, but it’s possible that someone else in your home does. If you ask your partner, children, or roommates whether they have any ideas, they might be able to give you some clues. Perhaps they have been using something more often that’s using up more energy. Or they might be able to think of something the household has been using that requires more energy than you were using before. Putting your heads together and investigating could help you to work out exactly what’s going on.
Make Sure Your Energy Isn’t Being Stolen
It’s not exactly a common problem, but an energy bill that’s suddenly higher than usual could be due to criminal activity. Your neighbors or others nearby might steal your electricity or gas supply, which could send your bills rocketing. If you suspect that this could be the cause of your high energy bills, check for any signs that wiring or your meter has been tampered with. If you see anything strange, it is possible that someone could be stealing your energy from you. You can report this to your energy supplier or other channels to find out what’s happening and correct the problem.
Check for Old Light Bulbs
LED light bulbs are the most efficient option for most people to use in their homes. In fact, older styles are no longer being sold in many places. But you might still have older light bulbs in your home that are using up too much energy. If you haven’t replaced all of the bulbs in your home with energy-saving bulbs yet, now is the time to do it. The upfront cost is a little more than you would spend on less efficient bulbs, but you will soon get the money back by paying less on your energy bills.
Are You on the Right Tariff?
Another thing to check in terms of your energy provider is whether you are on the right tariff. You might be on your provider’s standard tariff, which isn’t necessarily the best one for you. By switching to a different one, you could make your energy bills more efficient. Look at your energy provider’s website or contact them to see what options you have and if you can switch to a better tariff for your needs. You could save a lot of money or spread your payments more efficiently so you don’t get high bills.
Is Your Home Properly Insulated?
Poor insulation could be an issue that causes you to have high energy bills. If you didn’t have any problems before but you’re suddenly getting high bills now, it might be because there’s a problem in your home that needs to be repaired. There could be a few issues causing poor insulation. Maybe you don’t have enough insulation in your roof space or there’s a draft problem around your windows and doors. Fixing these problems could help if you find that you have high energy bills, despite being sensible with your heating and cooling system.
Do You Have a Smart Meter?
Smart meters are pretty popular but not everyone has one yet. If you’re yet to have one installed, installing one can help to make sure your bills are more accurate. They will be based on your actual energy usage so your bills aren’t estimated. However, if you do have a smart meter, check it to see that it’s working as it should be. If you think the numbers look strangely high, it could be that there’s a problem and it’s not working properly. You can check with your energy provider if you think there might be a problem with your smart meter and they can make sure it’s working correctly.
Check for Faulty Wiring
If your electric bill is high, it could be caused by faulty wiring. Not only can this cause your energy bills to be higher than usual, but it can also be extremely dangerous. Electrical fires are a leading cause of fires in the home, so it’s important to take steps to prevent them. If you notice lights or other electrics on the fritz or you see any visual signs of frayed or broken wires, get it checked out as soon as you can. It’s important to take care of these types of problems quickly before they develop into something more.
When your energy bill is higher than you expected, there could be a variety of causes. But if you think it’s wrong, make sure to query it with your provider.
