Bill Impacts

What impacts my bill?

1. Weather– Weather is the No.1 cause of high bills.
   • Hot weather – Cooling can account for half or more of your electric bill during the summer. When you lower your thermostat, it causes your A/C to run longer, which increases energy use.
   • Cold weather – Heating is two to three times more expensive than cooling. Also, people tend to take longer showers in colder weather, which increases water heating costs. 
      
2. Electronics and appliances – Many electronic devices continue to draw power even when they are not in use. So, consider either plugging these devices into a power strip with an on/off button, or unplugging items when not in use. This includes:
   • TVs (Larger and plasma TVs use more electricity and produce more heat, which makes your A/C operate more.)
   • Stereos
   • DVDs and DVRs
   • Cell phone or battery chargers 
      
3. Household – House guests, and even kids home from college, can use a lot more electricity – more showers, laundry, cooking and dishes, all of which use hot water. In addition, the size, age and type of house you live in can impact the amount of energy you consume. 
    
4. Length of billing cycle – A billing cycle is the number of days in each bill. Normally, your meter is read on the same day every month, but some months are longer than others depending on if your normal read day falls on a weekend or a holiday.