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according to climate powerHousehold electricity bills across the country are expected to increase by 13% in 2025. A survey by Third Way and Impact Research found that concerns about electricity prices were at an all-time high, with 83% of respondents reporting that their energy bills had increased in recent years. With 51% of respondents reporting that energy costs have increased significantly, environmental advocates believe that renewable energy alone can help bring prices down.
For those who have noticed that their neighbor’s energy bill is higher than theirs, there are still practical tips you can implement to save money. Here are some reasons why your neighbor’s electric bill may be lower than yours and what you can do to save money on your next bill.
1. You don’t have a smart thermostat
You may be paying more for your electric bill because you are heating or cooling your home when you don’t need to.
“With a smart thermostat, it’s easy to preprogram heat for times when people aren’t home,” said Sequoia Cross, vice president of energy storage. Briggs and Stratton Energy Solutions. “For example, when parents are at work, and children are at school, there is no need to keep the house so warm in winter. In the evening, when the family is in bed, the temperature can be adjusted once again to save money.”
Environmental Protection Agency It is estimated that homeowners can save an average of 8% or $50 annually on their utility bills by using a smart thermostat. You can also check with your local utility provider to see if it offers incentives or rebates for installing a smart thermostat.
For you: was 12You must do GS when your savings reach $50,000
2. You don’t know where your energy goes
Cross said many homeowners don’t know where their energy goes. An easy way for homeowners to reduce their utility bills is to know which appliances use the most energy.
Cross recommends purchasing a power consumption meter, which costs $25 or less. You should plug each appliance into a meter to see how much electricity it draws. Based on the numbers, you’ll know which items to unplug when not in use. You can also determine which appliances may need to be replaced or thrown out due to the impact they have on your energy bills.
3. You haven’t done an energy audit
Christine Ciavardini, a Customer Relationship Manager MD Energy Consultantrecommends that you take the opportunity to receive a free home energy audit. He said these are available to homeowners or you can ask your landlord to contact the utility company.
By reviewing your entire home to identify areas where the home is losing energy, these audits can identify issues that can reduce your bills by 10% to 20%. There may be a window that needs sealing or an appliance that needs upgrading that you haven’t even thought about.
4. You haven’t drained the vampire energy
“Eliminate vampire energy draws, which are electrical appliances that draw electricity even when they’re turned off,” Cross said. “Take a walk around your home, and you’ll immediately identify your laptop, printer, coffee maker, phone charger, and other items that can easily be unplugged.”
You may have many devices, such as a TV or video game console, that use energy even when they are turned off because they are still plugged in. As a general rule, you’ll want to unplug the toaster, coffee maker, and whatever appliances you have when they’re not being used.
5. Don’t use energy when it’s cheap
Because utility companies charge more during periods of high energy demand, peak-hour charges are like surge pricing. This means you will pay more for energy consumption during a certain period.
“Off-peak hours typically run from late evening to early morning, so this is the best time to run the dishwasher, do laundry, and prepare meals for the day ahead,” Cross explains. You can reduce your next energy bill by changing the time you do some household chores.
Cross recommends reviewing your utility bill and keeping an eye on terms like peak hours or time-of-use rates (TOU). TOU means that your utility charges more for electricity usage during peak hours. You may end up spending more money on your electricity bill than your neighbor because you are doing all your household chores at the same time instead of waiting until later.
6. You’re not optimizing your home
Experts agreed that you can reduce your electricity bill by optimizing a few things around your home to help reduce energy consumption.
Here are some quick ways to optimize your home to save energy costs:
- Open the curtains during the day when the sun is shining and close them when the sun goes down to retain natural heat in your large rooms.
- When you turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar to keep the kitchen warm for a while.
- Ciavardini recommends keeping furnace filters clean and changing them regularly, as this will affect your furnace’s efficiency and energy usage.
- Set your hot water heater to 120 degrees instead of 140 degrees.
- Seal windows and doors to block cold air and allow warm air to escape from your home. Not only are you paying more to heat your home, but you’re also running your furnace more, which causes more wear and tear and can even shorten its lifespan.
You’ll want to review this list to identify small mistakes that are driving up your energy costs. The good news is that if you start implementing some of these changes you may see significant results on your next electricity bill.