from Jodie in Brown Deer, WI:
#48
Why is my electric bill so high?
There are many reasons your electric bill may seem high. Read on for help.
There are many reasons your electric bill may seem high. Your appliances might be outdated and inefficient; your thermostat might be set too high in the winter or too low in the summer; you might need to replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs; you may need to turn down the temperature setting on your hot water heater. Luckily, making little changes to how you operate the appliances, lighting and other equipment in your home can help you reduce those costs. Focus on Energy has many tips that can help you reduce your usage.
To help figure out how much energy your appliances and other electronic devices are using, you can check out a watt meter (or portable energy meter) from your local library. With a watt meter, you can measure the amount of electricity that an appliance is using, such as your refrigerator. If your library does not have a watt meter at that location, they can get one through an inter-library loan. You can also get more in-depth into how your home is using, or wasting, energy by having a thorough home energy evaluation conducted by a professional trained through Focus on Energy's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program.
To see the process online, view a video or an online demo.
Please visit focusonenergy.com/incentives for the latest incentives and requirements, as Focus offers are subject to change.
Published Thursday, April 16, 2009