Homeowners often do their best to control their energy and utility bills as best as possible. So when there’s a huge jump, it tends to cause a bit of panic. When a homeowner reached out to master electrician Heath Eastman about his bill doubling in the winter, Heath wanted to troubleshoot the issue in person.
Take Inventory First
The first step in troubleshooting a high energy bill is to take inventory of your electrical system and its components. This means assessing the panels, understanding the devices on each circuit, and evaluating any sub panels used to expand the electrical system. You’ll also want to gauge how fast your electrical meter is spinning by watching the spinning disc (for analog meters).
Shut Off Circuits
To determine which of your circuits is drawing the most electricity, you can shut them down one by one and gauge how fast the meter is spinning. If it slows significantly, you’ll know it’s a circuit that’s drawing a lot of energy at that moment, and you can track down the appliance or device causing the issue. If you’re concerned that the meter itself isn’t working properly, shutting off the main breaker to the house should stop the meter completely.
Install an Energy Monitor
Installing an energy monitor might be the best way to not only track your overall energy usage but also to track the individual circuits over time. A licensed electrician is recommended to do the installation. They can install the energy monitoring device by doing the following:
Over the next two months, watch the monitor’s readings and compare them to the main meter. If there’s a discrepancy, call the utility company to have the meter serviced. Otherwise, find out where the majority of your energy is going to determine if there’s an issue.
In this homeowner’s case, he was seeing a higher electricity bill due to several factors. He had a mini split that was working harder to heat the home in the cold winter, the electric baseboard heaters also kicking on, and a full-electric water heater. Additionally, a well pump that was supplying water to three families. However, the homeowner was avoiding the costs of an oil heat bill due to the mini split and town water bills since his well provides water.
To reduce electricity usage, Heath told the homeowner to consider replacing the electric water heater with a more efficient hybrid heat pump water heater. Given the number of electric appliances in the home, Heath recommends installing solar panels to help offset energy costs.
Resources
- Heath installed the Siemens Inhab Energy Intelligent Home Energy Monitor.
- A licensed electrician is recommended to do the installation.
