If you have seen your electric bill at any point in the last few years and wondered, “Why is my electric bill so high?” your instincts are not wrong. You probably expect your electric bill to be higher in the summer, but not that high. You may also wonder why your electric bill is so high even in cooler months, which require much less air conditioning.
Here at Power Mojo, we want to break your electric bill down and help clarify why Texas power bills are going up, and what you can do to control your household electricity costs.
Is My Electric Bill Too High?
If your water bill suddenly spiked, you would know you have a leak. However, where electricity is concerned, it is sometimes hard to determine if your electric bill is higher than it should be. The fact of the matter is that prices are rising per kilowatt hour (kWh) across the state of Texas for a number of reasons, including:
- The cost of natural gas for electricity production has gone up
- Demand is growing faster than production
- The infrastructure is aging
- Record-setting heat waves in the last few years
Peak hour pricing, which used to be a business-only concern, is becoming a more common residential billing model, and Texas is still the center for cost per kWh in the nation. So your bill might be rising, but the costs may – unfortunately – be justified.
Factors That Can Affect Your Electric Bill
There are some key factors that have played a major role in Texas’ rising energy prices, as detailed below.
Natural Gas Prices
Natural gas is one of the biggest factors that impact Texas’ energy costs. Over 40% of Texas power plants run on natural gas, which is an efficient, clean-burning fuel. As the price of fuel across the globe goes up, so does the price of the gas used to run power plants, and that cost is passed on to you as the end customer.
Transmission Infrastructure
Power companies pay government bodies to use the power grid like wires, towers, and transformers. As the grid grows and the core infrastructure ages, prices go up.
Supply and Demand
The more homes and businesses using power in your region, the higher energy prices are likely to rise as demand outpaces supply.
Peak Hours
During hours when the most electricity is used, you may be charged “peak prices” or “peak hour prices,” which increase the cost per kWh to run your home’s essential systems.
How Can You Lower Your Rate Of Use?
While we can’t change the price of natural gas or the stress on your local power grid, we can give you some clues on how to lower your kWh rate of use and, thus, your overall power bill.
Insulate the House
One of the best ways for Texans to reduce their rate of use and power bills is to insulate the house. Keeping your air conditioning from escaping is job number one for reducing the power needed to keep cool.
Clean, Maintain, or Update Appliances
Make sure all of your appliances are using as little electricity as possible. Clean the coils inside your air conditioner and refrigerator. Change your air filter. Descale and then turn down the temperature on your water heater. If you have old appliances, consider replacing them with more energy-efficient models. They might pay themselves back faster than you realize.
Turn It Down During Peak Hours
Peak hours tend to be during the hottest and busiest time of the day. If you work outside the home, use thermostat programming to let the house heat up and switch off appliances during these hours to pay less when it costs more. Even if you work or study from home, let the house heat up while you catch lunch under someone else’s air conditioning.
Charge Up Outside the Home
If you have an electric or hybrid vehicle, plug-in off-site. Charge up while you are at work, running errands, or attending a group or class. These changes can help get the most savings from a low-fuel vehicle.
Unplug Appliances
When you are not using appliances, unplug them or switch off the power strip. Unplugging ensures you don’t lose electricity to idle devices and large appliances.
Power Use FAQs
Does Unplugging Appliances When They’re Not In Use Save Electricity?
Yes. Phantom load is when an appliance (especially smart appliances that wait for a signal) uses electricity while officially switched to “off.” The best solution is a power strip that makes it easy to switch off a whole cluster of devices when not in use.
What Uses the Most Electricity in a Home?
Your air conditioner, water heater, and refrigerator are the house’s largest common power hogs – in that order. Blasting the air conditioning to frigid temperatures all the time and keeping a tank water heater at a high temperature uses the most electricity in any house. A poorly sealed fridge comes in a close third.
What Electronics Use the Most Electricity?
Your washer-dryer is next on the list, followed by your oven and a big-screen TV that can both glow with heat. Surprisingly, computers and mobile devices do not take a competitive amount of electricity, but your space heater does in the winter.
Lower Your Electric Bill in Texas: Discover How Power Mojo Can Help
Power Mojo was founded on the principles of affordable energy and practical, down-to-earth delivery. We want you to be able to read your power bill, and we want to help you keep your electric bill affordable, even as power costs rise across the board. We want to help you answer, “why is my electric bill so high?” with useful answers and options. Contact us today to learn more.
