If you’ve lived in a home for a while, you’ve probably gotten used to the expenses that come with it. Utility bills do fluctuate, but typically they won’t be outside what you would expect to see after you’ve established a pattern of use. If you’ve noticed a sudden surge in your power bill though, there are some reasons this may have happened.
Aging Appliances
As much as 30% of your power bill may be because of your appliances. As appliances age, they often become less efficient. Less efficiency means they need to pull more power and energy to run normally. This can have a detrimental effect on your power bill. Aside from potentially needing to pull more power as they get older, older appliances use more power than newer, more energy efficient models just by virtue of how they are made. If your appliances aren’t energy efficient, you may find it worthwhile to upgrade to more efficient models.
HVAC Dysfunction
A sudden increase in your power bill could also be due to problems with your HVAC system. There are multiple reasons your HVAC system might not be running at peak efficiency. If your system is dirty, if the filters are old, or if there’s ice that’s built up, that can cause your system to not run as it should, which can cause your energy expenditure to increase. Keep an eye out for water leaking out of your system. While condensation is normal, leaking water can be a sign of a more serious issue.
Changes in Energy Use
Perhaps the easiest problem to both notice and solve is a change to your energy usage. If you find you’re running your cooling system more, leaving lights on unnecessarily, or using appliances and electronics more, that will add up and result in a higher power bill. Take some time to reflect on your energy use throughout your home and determine if it has changed over the last few bills. If it has, you may have found your culprit. There are multiple things you can do to reduce your energy usage at home, so give those a try and see if they have an impact on your power bill.
Aging appliances, HVAC dysfunction, and changes in your energy use can all have an impact on your power bill. Depending on the circumstance, that change can be pretty drastic and expensively so. If you notice your power bill has changed, do some digging and identify the reason. You’ll be better positioned to address the problem and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Read this next: How to Make Changes to Your Home When Money is Tight
