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High Bills: Checklist
If you receive an electric bill that seems higher than normal, here are some potential reasons why your bill has increased.
Thermostat settings
The ideal setting for energy-efficient heating is sixty-eight degrees and seventy-eight degrees for cooling while you are at home during the day. Make a habit of turning off the heat and air conditioner when you're not at home.
Electric baseboard or portable space heaters
Electric heaters—even small portable ones—use a great deal of energy. They typically use over 1000 watts of electricity and cost about ten cents an hour to operate. If you use an electric heater just at night in one room during a month, this could easily add twenty-five dollars or more a month to your bill.
Number of days in the current billing period
Some billing periods are longer than others. What may seem like an increase in your electric rate may actually just be a few extra days in your billing period. SVP comes out to your home to read your meter once a month.
While we try to come out every thirty days, with over 45,000 meters in Santa Clara, the actual number of days between readings may vary between twenty-eight and thirty-five.
Extra guests
Every extra person in your house can potentially add to your energy bill.
Change in work pattern
Staying at home with a new baby, a change in your hours at work, or working from home can affect your energy bill. Getting a new computer and leaving it and the monitor on all day can also increase your electric costs.
If you want to lower your electric bill, here are five ways to immediately save both energy and money.
If you're still concerned about your bill, feel free to give us a call at our Energy Conservation Hotline, 408-244-SAVE (7283), and talk to an Energy Conservation Specialist who can also arrange a free home energy audit.
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