HERE ARE 8 REASONS WHY
- Weather
Cold temperatures and windy weather cause your heating system to run more frequently to keep your home comfortable. Warm air naturally migrates from hotter to colder spaces. The greater the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures and the windier it is, the faster heat loss occurs. That’s when your furnace cycles more frequently. Attic insulation upgrades are usually the best bang for the buck to reduce this heat loss. MPE’s Electrify Everything program offers financial assistance for qualifying insulation upgrades (and energy-efficient heat pumps): mpei.com/electrify-everything-program.
- Appliances & electronics
The more appliances and electronics you have and using outdated (inefficient) appliances affects your energy use. Another contributor to higher-than-expected energy bills is using appliances that need cleaning or repair. Your neighbor may have a different number and/or size of appliances. This also contributes to differences in energy consumption. MPE offers rebates for Energy Star appliances and induction cooktops: mpei.com/rebates.
- Lifestyle changes
Being home more often, installing a hot tub or long runs of heat tape, having house guests or a newborn baby also increases your energy use. This means more laundry, more showers and more cooking. Electric consumption increases are markedly noticeable if occupants turn up the HVAC thermostat, use space heaters or teenagers take marathon showers. MPE now offers rebates for smart thermostats: mpei.com/rebates.
- Seasonal use
In winter, you may use heat tape on the roof or on water pipes, an electric fireplace, a space heater, an engine block heater (on your car) or a stock tank heater. Sometimes, people forget to turn these off during the non-heating season, unintentionally increasing energy bills.
- Structural differences
The square footage, insulation and windows (condition and type), type of construction and home’s orientation (south facing windows of main living area v. another direction) all contribute to heat loss and heat gain. This affects how often your furnace cycles.
- Inhabitants
Your energy costs are directly impacted by the number, age and living habits of the occupants. Preferences in room temperatures, cooking styles, laundering and bathing habits differ between households.
- Property use
If your home or condo or is rented out on a nightly basis (VRBO, Airbnb, etc.), tenants sometimes leave doors or windows open or increase thermostat settings. They can also leave lights and appliances on or forget to cover a hot tub. This increases your energy bill.
- Billing period days
Depending on the month, your bill may have a few more days of usage for that billing cycle (e.g. 28 days hath February, 31 days hath March). Your montly MPE bill shows the number of days for that particular billing period.
Additional Resources:
Monitor your daily energy use
Create a SmartHub Account
Discuss your electric bill with an MPE customer service representative
Call us at (970) 887-3378