Why is my electric bill so high? [How to lower your energy bill]

Updated December 31, 2024  |   Published April 15, 2024 by Angela Talbot | Reading Time: 3 minutes

Categories:  
• Saving & Budgeting

If you鈥檝e been wondering why your electric bill is high, you鈥檙e not alone. But according to the , the average electricity cost in January 2024 was 15.45 cents/kwh. That鈥檚 a decrease of 0.1% since January 2023. So if you still find your electric bill increasing, there may be issues you need to address in your own home. The most common contributing factors are outdated appliances, thermostats, lightbulbs, or insufficient insulation. Here鈥檚 what you can do to help reduce your household energy usage.

How to save on electric bills

Use energy efficient appliances

If your stove, dishwasher, washing machine, or dryer isn鈥檛 an approved product, it鈥檚 probably using too much energy. ENERGY STAR庐 is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Products with the blue ENERGY STAR庐 label are backed by the government as the most energy efficient. They not only certify appliances like the ones listed above, they also certify windows, thermostats, water heaters, heat pumps, and electric vehicle chargers. Find out how you can upgrade any of these appliances .

Seal air leaks with proper insulation

If your walls and attic don鈥檛 have proper insulation, you could be losing heat through the top of your house. And if your windows aren鈥檛 sealed properly, you could be losing money through the cracks (metaphorically, of course). According to ENERGY STAR, adding insulation to your attic can save you up to 10% on your annual energy bills and replacing drafty windows can lower your cost by an average of 12%.

Replace outdated lightbulbs

Did you know ? You should replace ALL light bulbs in your house with LEDs. Consider installing a dimmer to reduce wattage. When you鈥檙e not in the room, turn the lights off! If this is something you or others in your family struggle with, try using motion sensing lights that will turn off automatically when nobody is around.

Check your appliance usage

So you鈥檝e switched to energy efficient appliances already, but your electric bill is still high? You might want to reduce how often you鈥檙e using these appliances, and at what times. Electric companies charge higher prices during 鈥減eak鈥� times. Those are the periods of the day when customers are using the most energy, like the hottest hours in summer and the coldest in winter. Those will vary, but says in Massachusetts peak hours are between the hours of聽 8 A.M. to 9 P.M. Monday through Friday. If you aren鈥檛 already, try following these tips to cut back:

• Run your dishwasher or laundry dryer during off-peak hours.
• Wash clothes with cold water. .
• Clean out your dryer vent. The dryer may take longer to dry clothes when there鈥檚 lint in there.
• Choose your microwave over the conventional oven when you can.
• Use a window fan instead of central air or an AC unit.
• Turn the thermostat down 7-10 degrees when you鈥檙e sleeping.
• Unplug appliances when they aren鈥檛 in use. A microwave plugged in but not in use could use . It might not cost you a lot, but having multiple appliances in standby mode over a long period of time can make an impact. Every little bit counts.
• See How to save money on your winter energy bills for more tips.

Save on taxes with energy efficient home upgrades

The introduced tax credits for homeowners who make energy efficient home improvements. You can claim up to $3,200 in tax credits for qualified improvements like windows, heat pumps, and biomass stoves or boilers. Visit irs.gov for more information.

Take advantage of state programs like Mass Save庐*

It鈥檚 in the state鈥檚 best interest to keep the overall usage of their energy grid down. That鈥檚 why programs like 庐 offer discounts, rebates, and even free services to make energy efficient improvements to your home. Massachusetts residents can schedule a free energy assessment during which the assessor will recommend upgrades, and you may even get some no cost power strips out of it. Other states offer similar programs.

*Some restrictions apply and offers are subject to change or cancellation.
Visit MassSave.com/HEATLoan for full details.