Compare Energy Bills

Check Your Benefits Period

Something else you should check is your energy retailer’s benefits period. Some retailers may use discounts to get new customers to purchase electricity or gas from them.

Some of these discounts last the lifetime of the plan but most run out after one or two years.

One of the reasons your energy bill might be unexpectedly high is because your benefits period ended. Your pay-on-time benefit, for instance, might have concluded at the end of the last billing cycle, leaving you with a higher bill than you expected.

How Long is Your Billing Period?

Another retailer-based reason for a high energy bill could be the billing period. Your past bill might have been for a shorter period than your current bill, for instance.

If this is the case, you should expect your current bill to be higher than past bills – for obvious reasons. Take a look at the date on your bills to make sure this isn’t the case.

You can compare energy providers and find the best plan in your area if you suspect any of these reasons are behind a spike in your bill.

Energy Usage Checklist

Your high energy bill is likely tied to your energy usage if it’s not a change on your retailer’s end. Take a look at some of the reasons we’ve listed below to find out if you can find the high-energy culprit that applies to your circumstance.

Seasonal Change

A change in seasons is one of the most prominent reasons your energy bill might have risen. Summer and winter months are both known to increase energy usage, but you might face particularly high bills in the winter.

Air conditioning in the hot summer months will cause your energy bill to rise. You might have recently installed an air conditioner, and are surprised to see your summer bills skyrocketing.

Many people avoid air conditioners for this very reason. They choose to cool down by using fans instead, which is a viable option to save on energy bills for those who don’t face extreme heat in the summer.

The winter, on the other hand, is a massive energy burner. It’s nearly impossible to get through the winter without using a heater of some kind, which will undoubtedly cause your energy usage to rise substantially.

On top of that, appliances like space heaters can cause your bill to skyrocket after prolonged usage. The cold weather is a massive energy drainer, and it might be the culprit if you’re questioning your high bills in the winter.

New Appliances

Appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines use quite a bit of energy, especially you have purchased ones without an energy saving option.

Think about any appliance purchases you’ve made in recent months. Could these be the energy-sucking culprits that are causing your bills to rise?

In the future, try to avoid saving a bit of money in the short-term for higher energy bills in the long-term. You can save more on energy bills by choosing energy efficient appliances over cheap alternatives.

Do You Have Guests?

More people in your home means you’re going to use more energy. Have your children come back home to stay for an extended period? Are you letting an extra family member stay with you?

These guests might be using energy where you typically don’t use any, or as much, causing a spike in your energy bill. Bad habits can also see the cost pile-up. For instance, do you guests often forget to switch the light off when they exit a room? It’s more efficient to turn off lights, even if you’re heading back into the room shortly after.

You should also ensure your guests (and you) are switching powerpoints off at the wall. Even if you’re not using an appliance, you may find it’s still sucking some energy in ‘standby’ mode.

These discrepancies would be particularly noticeable if you received an estimated bill during the last billing cycle.

Your energy retailer didn’t account for the additional energy usage, so your actual bill might be much higher than you expected it to be.

How to Save Money On an Energy Bill?

Hopefully, this checklist was able to help you find out why your energy bills are higher than you expected. Now, let’s see how you can save money on your energy bill.

1. Finding the Culprit

First, you need to find the culprit and take appropriate steps to address the issue. For example, if the spike is retailer-related, you can compare energy providers, and switch to a better plan. On the other hand, you should compare energy bills, if you believe seasonal changes or bad habits are behind this sudden increase. Also, make sure to check with your provider for any additional information they can provide to clarify your cost.

2. Limit Your Usage

The next step to take is to start limiting your overall energy usage. Try to cut down on energy-sucking appliances like space heaters and air conditioning units. Purchase energy efficient appliances instead of ones that require a lot of electricity. This will help you save on energy bill in the long run.

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