5 Potential Reasons for Your High Energy Bills

Posted on October 4th, 2016 by Devine Bros

Unlike with phone bills, which break down exactly where your costs are coming from, energy bills can be a huge mystery. They include just a number – a measure of the power you used and a price – which makes it hard to decipher exactly where those high prices are coming from.

So why is your energy bill so high? Here are five potential reasons for this problem.

Phantom Power

One of the main reasons your energy bill may be high is because you are keeping items plugged in whether you’re using them or not. Most modern technology can still draw energy even in standby mode. Anything that sits with a plug in the wall has the ability to suck extra power.

Things to unplug:

• Kitchen appliances – coffee machines, microwaves, and any other appliance you only use for one hour out of the 24 in a day.
• Computer/Entertainment systems – printers, scanners, Blu-ray players, televisions, and even speaker systems.

Over-Feeding Big Items

No surprise here – the biggest energy-consuming appliances in your home are fridges, dishwashers, and washing machines. These items alone make up a third of your energy bill. Try to only run your dishwasher or washing machine when the load is completely full, and, if possible, avoid heated drying. And, while a fridge needs to be running continuously, try to reduce its workload by avoiding overstocking and fixing any leaks or problems.

Over-Charging

Did you know your phone charger is sucking power every second that it is plugged in? Most smartphones and tablets only need around two to three hours to fully charge – once your gadgets hit 100%, unplug. Small changes in your charging routine might take a bit of effort, but can save avoidable expenses.

Using Appliances Past Their Prime

The older the appliance, the more power it takes to run. A fridge that’s older than 10 years uses four times the energy over a newer, more efficient model. To fix this problem, simply upgrade your appliances once they’ve reached their full potential.

Faulty HVAC Equipment

Heating and cooling accounts for roughly half of our energy bill, but this number can be even higher if your equipment is not operating at maximum efficiency. Make sure you are having your HVAC system regularly serviced by a licensed professional, and upgrade to a new Energy Star system if yours is older than 15 years.

Take your energy savings to the next level with a professionally-installed HVAC system from the experts at Devine Bros. If you live in Fairfield County, Connecticut, give us a call for all of your home heating and cooling needs at (203) 866-4421.