It’s no secret that electric bills can fluctuate greatly, sometimes from one month to the next. Obviously, something is influencing the increase in your bill. Sometimes, it simply means that your rate went up. Most times, it has a lot to do with which appliances you use and how much you use them. It pays to find out which electricity-using devices in your home drive your bill up.

Heating and Cooling Systems

A heating and cooling system is usually the #1 offender of high electric bills. If your system runs on electricity, you can expect it to consume about 15,000 watts every hour. That translates to a cost of about $1.50 per hour at a rate of 10 cents per hour. At that rate, heating can eat up a large portion of your budget, especially in the winter. If there are leaks in your doors and windows, poorly insulated walls, or dirty ducts in your home, your bill will creep up even further.

Water Heater

Apparently, it costs a lot to run a water heater because it is the second most common culprit of higher electricity bills. Every time someone takes a shower, runs the dishwasher, or washes clothes, the water heater kicks into action, at least if anything other than cold water is used. Here, simple adjustments, such as setting the water heater thermostat lower or wrapping the water heater in an insulation jacket can reduce your bill.

Major Appliances

Altogether, major appliances, such as washers, dryers, refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers, account for approximately 13 percent of a home’s energy bill. Fortunately, we no longer have to wash clothes by hand, but the convenience translates into six percent of the bill. Refrigerators use another four percent of your energy, and dishwashers, two percent. You can lower your expense by running full loads in the washer and dishwasher and keeping the refrigerator full (who doesn’t like a well-stocked fridge), and minimizing the use of the oven.

Electronics

Entertainment centers can account for up to three percent of an energy bill and desktop computers use about one percent of it. An easy way to save on electronics is to plug all of them into a power strip and turn off the strip when they aren’t being used. Powering down saves more than leaving a device on standby, because when it’s on standby or in hibernation, it’s still using electricity. Over a year, that adds up.

This is a general list that can get you started with evaluating and trimming your electric usage, but if you want a customized evaluation, you should consult with a local electrician. Electric bills aren’t meant to take over your budget. With a few small tricks, you can start feeling at least some relief.