What’s Causing Your Skyrocketing Power Bills?

Money Electric Co. has taken homes apart, searching for what’s causing high-than-usual bills. We’ve found that there’s usually a common culprit, especially in Conway, AR. Most utility bills go up because you’ve had your furnace too long, and it’s becoming less efficient. You should always take the following steps to make sure, though.

Compare Your Current Bill to Previous Ones

When you live somewhere for a time, you’ll learn how the weather changes your spending patterns. A lot of homes seem like they’re more expensive when the weather gets cold. If you’ve lived at your place for more than a year, look at last year’s bill.

You may not have realized you were paying so much at the time, but that doesn’t mean you’re not simply noticing a normal seasonal fluctuation. See if there’s a noticeable difference between what you’re paying now and what you’ve paid in the past. If so, then there has to be a reason for the change.

Check to See If the Utility Company Changed Their Rates

The simplest explanation is typically an increased rate on your electric charges. Utility companies often increase what they’re charging for electricity after having the same prices for quite a while. Increasing rates is necessary since they have to outpace inflation while retaining a profit.

You should have received a notice in the mail if they’ve adjusted your rates. If they haven’t sent one to you, they’ll be held liable for any excess charges. Just make sure you have proof whenever you’re showing them there’s been a mistake.

An Inefficient Furnace Might Be the Culprit

Anyone who has replaced their furnace with one that has a modern heat exchanger knows how great they are. The one you have at your place most likely uses a dual-stage blower, too. Getting a new furnace would mean you could choose one that features a modulating staging system.

Dual-stage systems don’t have the ability to regulate how much air they’re blowing. They can set their fans so that they’re on low or high, but that’s the only way they can adjust the strength of your home’s airflow.

Modulating systems work similarly to the way your car’s continuously variable transmission does. It doesn’t put the fan on discrete circuits but puts them on a spectrum instead.

That’s made it possible to produce furnaces with far fewer short-cycling problems. You’ll notice that the air temperature seems much more even when you’re at home if you upgrade to a modulating system.

Add Spacers to the Windows If They’re Getting Old

One way your house might be losing a lot of heat is through its windows. Many older homes use single-pane windows, which are not the most efficient options.

Install an extra pane and get some argon spacers to place in between the panes. Adding another pane alone would only make a minor difference. Putting the argon in there with it really amplifies the window’s thermal resistance.

Your Experienced Conway Electric Team

At Money Electric Co., we spend plenty of time helping our customers with electrical projects. We’ve helped many residents of Conway, AR since we’ve been in business. Give us a call if you’d like help upgrading your home’s electrical system.