What to Expect From Your Summer Electricity Bills

July 20, 2011

When the thermometer begins to top out in the triple digits, it seems that the electric bill tops out as well. This June was the hottest since 1906 with several days over 100 degrees, and that trend isn’t going to change as the summer drags on.

It’s easy to think that when the electric bill comes, and the price soars above the month before, that the meter reader misread the meter. Let’s face it, the meter looks like it has more dials than a nuclear reactor and at a quick glance can easily be misread. The honest truth is there’s most likely nothing wrong with the meter or the reader’s eyesight. The problem stems from the many natural ways summer heat affects a home as well as how homeowners react to the rising temperatures.

Many people can’t believe their bill would just naturally increase that much and ask for a reread. This can hit them in the pocket book for as much as $80, if there is nothing wrong with the meter. Before complaining to the electric company, head outside and take a look at the meter and read it yourself.

How to Read Your Meter

If the home has a dialed meter, then reading it may seem complex, but in reality, is quite simple. The meter has five dials with the 1,3 and 5 dials going clockwise and the 2 and 4 dials moving counter clockwise.

Each dial, from right to left, represents a digit in the total kilowatt hours used since the meter was last read. Start by examining the first dial. If the dial is between numbers, choose the number that it has just passed. If the dial is on a number, then look to the next dial. If the dial is past zero, then choose the number the previous dial is on. If it is before zero, then choose the number the previous dial just passed.

Read the total kilowatt hours from left to right, but remember the second and fourth dials go counter clockwise.

If the home has a digital meter, then simply look at the number following the 01H on the digital readout. That is the total kilowatt hours.

With the current kilowatt hours on hand, examine the total hours used from your previous bill and subtract the numbers to determine the kilowatt hours used and compare them to the current bill. If there is a major discrepancy, then the meter could be faulty or it was misread. If the numbers are close, then the issue is in energy consumption.

Factors in High Summer Electric Bills

When the heat comes calling, homeowners crank up the central air, window-based air conditioners or cooling units do battle in a temperature war. One of the highest reasons why an electric bill increases is the use of these cooling units.

Many window units are energy star rated and have special modes that conserve energy, but few people use them and instead keep the fan running all the time, even when the air conditioning part is off. All this does is create a constant energy drain. Use the energy saver modes or turn the fan to auto and shave a few cents off the electric bill.

When the air conditioning unit has to work harder, it can substantially increase the electric bill, because it is always running. A clogged filter or duct can be the culprit. Filters should be changed every 2-3 months and ducts should be cleared of debris such as children’s toys.

A drafty home is another problem that can lead to an over-used and costly central air or air conditioning unit. Go around the home and check all windows, doors, ducts and vents for leaks and drafts. It can be as simple as a small crack below the door frame, but over time that can add up to serious cooling costs.

If you find any drafts, then plug them up using caulk, weather strips and door seals. Air leaks can be found even easier by using a thermal draft detector. A simple tool can pinpoint where all the drafts in the home are located. Attics can reach well over 100 degrees and make it difficult for a central air unit to cool a home, leading to higher electric bills. Install an attic fan, cover it in foil or radiant paint and give the central air a break.

Homeowners can’t count themselves out as perpetrators of high electric bills. Setting the central air to 68 degrees in 105 degree weather and not expecting a spike in the electric bill is unrealistic. A home doesn’t need to be arctic to be comfortable. Simply setting the thermostat for 78 degrees or higher and wearing short-sleeved shirts and shorts can go a long way in decreasing high electric bills.

Sometimes the problem isn’t even with the cooling system, but another summer staple that is also an energy drain. The pool in the backyard provides hours of enjoyment for children and adults alike, but has the potential to significantly raise an electric bill. They often have electric pumps that circulate the water out, through the filter and back into the pool. Many residents keep these running 24 hours a day, seven days a week until fall. A constantly pumping pool pump can add as much as $60 a month to an electric bill.

Reducing Electricity Usage

A homeowner may do everything he can to make his cooling system as efficient as possible, but even then there can still be monthly increases in electrical usage over hot summer months. There are several tricks a person can do to reduce electrical usage.

While the refrigerator may need to be plugged in all the time, there are many other appliances that can be unplugged. Even if they are not on, appliances still use small amounts of electricity. Unplug home entertainment systems and televisions when not in use. Computers, hair dryers, cell phone chargers and almost every other item which remains plugged in while not in use should be unplugged to help reduce electrical usage.

The oven is not only a user of electricity, but it completely counteracts the effects of the air conditioner. Preheating an oven to 425 degrees and then cooking something for an hour or so is an easy way to kick the air conditioner into overdrive. Save a few dollars by heading out to the grill and trading in those electrical coils for natural gas or charcoal heat. It not only saves money on electricity, but tastes great, too.

Change electric company or plan

Sometimes the boost in electric bills has nothing to do with the home or homeowners. Certain types of power plants cost more to run during the summer months and those costs are passed on to customers in the form of higher electricity rates. If a home’s kilowatt hours haven’t changed and the bill still goes up, then most likely the electric company has increased its rates.

Texas has deregulated electricity distribution and that means savings for the average homeowner as numerous companies offer discounted rates and perks as a way to gain customers. Bounce Energy is one of Texas’ most trusted companies and offers not only low rates, but plenty of choices.

Customers can choose from month to month, fixed-rate bills or one of their green energy plans. Bounce offers a rewards program and incentives for referring friends. Customers can keep track of the most up-to-date deals and services by following the company on their Facebook and Twitter sites.