Why is My Electric Bill So High?

PSEG LI Customers

“My PSEG LI bill is too high! It’s literally five times what it was last year.”

“Am I crazy, or did everyone’s electric bill more than double this month?! My bill is too high, what am I supposed to do?”

You’re not crazy, and you’re not alone. We’ve been hearing reports of enormous electric bills across the board, and we’re here to figure out why they’re so much higher than usual.

High Electric Bill: Causes

Individually these reasons might not seem like much, but when compounded they make a huge difference! We’re here to help explain why your summer and fall bills are considerably higher than the rest of the year.

1. Rate Hikes

The cost of electricity is rising. LIPA approved a 2024 budget with an 11.6% average bill increase for customers, or about $20 more each month for the average customer. The rise in bills is primarily due to higher anticipated costs for power and fuel in 2024. By going solar, you can avoid paying the increased prices by creating your own energy. Not only does going solar help you eliminate your electricity bill, but it also provides energy independence and increases the value of your home.

2. More Home Electric Use

Staying home during the pandemic caused a huge spike in high energy bills last year, but what’s surprising is that those bills haven’t really gone down. Many people have shifted to working from home full time, and even those working from home part-time are still using more power to keep smart phones, laptops, and PCs running. Lights that may have previously been off during the day are now on for hours longer than usual, especially as many kids continue schooling from home.

3. Increasingly Warmer Weather

According to PSEG LI, 40% of the reason for bill increases is due to weather, and at seems as though each passing summer is getting hotter and hotter. For the third year in a row, we’ve seen extremely warm and humid weather, requiring AC units to crank overtime to keep homes cool and comfortable.

4. Old, Inefficient Appliances

Large appliances, like washer/dryers, dishwashers, and refrigerators are so commonly used it’s easy to forget how wasteful they can be, especially through overuse that can drive your electric bill way up. If your appliances aren’t ENERGY STAR® rated, they can be up to 50% less efficient than newer models, meaning they use way more power.

Top 15 Ways to Save Energy

1. Shift usage from peak hours and take advantage of Time-of-Day rates

Savvy customers can shave down their monthly electricity bill and save a few hundred dollars per year by actively managing their electric bills. PSEG LI customers are generally charged one flat rate, paying the same amount for energy whether it’s consumed at 6:00 pm in the summer or at 3:00 am in the winter, even though the PSEG LI has a big swing in electricity costs during those times. Other regions and even other parts of the world have incentivized energy use at cheaper times of the day.

With TOD, you can do things like program your dishwasher to run overnight, or do laundry during weekday mornings, when the grid is less strained and pay less for electricity, saving you extra money. Instead of shifting loads, you could even shed loads altogether during peak times by using a clothesline in the summer to save energy when the sun is ready to do the work for you!

Learn more about 2024 TOD rates here.

2. Complete an energy audit

Oftentimes, utility providers are able to conduct energy audits in your home. An energy audit is used to inspect the flow and use of energy in a home. PSEG LI offers a free energy efficiency home assessment to all of their customers, while ConEd customers can visit their website to learn more about energy efficiency savings available to them.

By completing a home energy audit, you’ll have greater insight into  how you can save money on your energy bills. There’s often a visual component of the audit, which helps identify the places in your home that are the least efficient and recommended actions you can take to make improvements.

3. Change your lightbulbs

Over the past few years, the use of LED lights has grown exponentially more popular, but some people have been slow to make the switch in their own homes. Are you one of them? If so, outdated incandescent bulbs can be wasting energy and driving up your electric bill. If you’re ready for a simple, money-saving changes, you should switch all of your lighting fixtures to be outfitted with LED bulbs, particularly those labeled with the ENERGY STAR® label.

Due to advances in LED technology, you can easily find energy efficient bulbs for a variety of needs, including smart bulbs that can be controlled remotely and even change colors! Some of those smart bulbs are equipped to work on timers or through smartphone apps. For example, you can program your lights to only turn on when you pull into your driveway.

4. Use natural lighting

Did you know that lighting alone accounts for about 10% of the average home’s energy usage? If you are concerned about the amount of energy that is consumed because of consistent light use then try to use natural light instead. During the summer, Long Island and New York City get a lot more daylight hours, which you can use to your advantage! By using light provided by the sun to brighten your home, not only are you conserving electricity, but reaping other benefits of natural light, like boosting your levels of vitamin D and increasing productivity. This is critical as many continue to work from home!

5. Install solar panels

Speaking of the sun, you can significantly reduce or completely eliminate your electric bill when you go solar! For $0 down you can benefit from immediate savings on your electric bill and expect significant savings over the life of your solar system. A solar system will pay for itself in just 4-7 years if the homeowner purchases them with cash, and a homeowner who finances or leases their system can expect to save upwards of $100,000 over the life of their system. Plus, there are federal, state, and local incentives available to go solar which can cover up to 50% of the total system cost. These savings become even greater when you complete your solar array with a home battery backup system, like the Tesla Powerwall.

6. Eliminate hidden energy waste

Oftentimes, homeowners don’t know that electronics that appear to be “off” aren’t really off at all. For example, if you happen to have a cable box or DVR and you turn it off, it still consumes energy. You would think that turning off electronics would help save energy, but that’s not the case at all. Televisions aren’t the only thing to worry about, however; microwaves also consume energy even while not being used, along with laptops/computers, phone chargers, speakers, printers, scanners, and more. In fact, 25% of the power used by these electronics is consumed when they’re “turned off.” This is known as “phantom energy.” If you are able to unplug these appliances, do it! It will help you save a lot of energy in the long run.

7. Wash your clothes in cold water

Many believe that washing your clothes in hot water is the way to go, but it takes a ton of your washing machine’s power to simply heat that water. Not only that, but washing with hot water increases the chances of your clothes shrinking and fading, both of which can destroy clothing, whereas cold water protects color fabrics, is more effective for stain removal, and reduces wrinkles, which means less time and energy spent ironing. Keep that in mind the next time you do laundry!

8. Skip the dryer cycle

Avoid running your dryer whenever possible, and use an outdoor clothesline or indoor drying rack to air dry your laundry. Similar to washing with cold water, hang-drying your clothes can protect your clothes from extra wear and tear, shrinking, and fading, helping them last even longer.

9. Go solar and monitor

On top of recognizing significant savings when going solar ($80,000+ for the average household) you also automatically get consumption and production monitoring. Using your smartphone, you can see exactly how much energy your home is using and how much energy your solar is producing. Real-time monitoring helps homeowners curtail unnecessary energy loads to keep usage down.

For $0 down you can benefit from immediate savings on your electric bill and expect significant savings over the life of your solar system. A solar system will pay for itself in just 4-7 years when purchased outright. Plus, there are federal, state, and local incentives available to go solar which can cover up to 50% of the total system cost. These savings become even greater when you complete your solar array with a home battery backup system, like the Tesla Powerwall.

With TOU pricing, a smart consumer could use solar and batteries to dynamically manage their energy habits and save significantly on electric bills by pulling from the grid only during times of day when rates are at their cheapest.

10. Keep control over your thermostat

Reducing your home’s temperature to 68 degrees during winter and about 78 degrees during summer can help slash your energy bills. Though you can always adjust your thermostat manually, the easiest way to maintain optimal temperatures is through the use of a programmable or smart thermostat. Set it, forget it, and save!

11. Sign up for an EV incentive program

For a limited time, PSEG LI customers can receive a $200 rebate when they install a Smart Charger for their EVs, and Con Ed customers can earn up to $1000 a year when participating in their EV Charging Rewards Program.

12. Ensure your home is properly insulated

The EPA estimates that homeowners can save an average of 11% on energy costs by making sure that their homes are well-insulated. This includes insulation in basements, crawl spaces, flooring, and attics. Not only will these measures help you save money, but they can also help soundproof your home, improve humidity control, and reduce noise from outside.

13. Seal your windows and doors

It is important to check that your windows and doors are sealed properly as well. By sealing air leaks at these points of entry, you can prevent the loss of heat or air conditioning, thereby improving the efficiency of your heating and cooling system and allowing for better temperature control in your home. Sealing gaps at windows prevents water leaking in when it rains, and adding a weather strip to your door can protect against drafts, moisture, dust, and even insects!

14. Replace old electrical appliances

The older your appliances are, like your refrigerator or dishwasher, the more energy consume and the harder they have to work. Much like making the switch to ENERGY STAR® label lightbulbs, we recommend upgrading your larger appliances too. More efficient appliances use less energy and will help you save more in the long run. By replacing your old appliances, you also avoid the repair costs associated with maintaining outdated machines, as well as the headache and expense relating to finding parts no longer in production.

15. Consider your cleaning style

Whether you upgrade your appliances or not, you can still save on energy costs. For example, when doing laundry it is most efficient to run full loads rather than washing a few items at a time. Same for doing the dishes- make sure you have all of your dishes in the machine rather than just a few. Newer washing machines and dishwashers often have “eco-mode” settings, which allow them to use less water at a lower temperature than standard settings, while still cleaning your clothes and dishes.

Related

https://staging.empower-solar.com/blog/why-li-and-nyc-summer-electric-bills-were-so-high/