24 Common Mistakes That Hike up Your Electricity Bill
A recent report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration has revealed that residential electricity bills have increased each month by 2 percent since 2022. The report also indicated that the average electricity bill was $138, an increase from $135 in the previous year. While the numbers may seem rather low, comparatively speaking, times are tough for everyone, and every dollar saved is a dollar earned.
When I first purchased my home nearly 10 years ago, my electricity bill was through the roof. There were a myriad of reasons for that, of course — chief amongst them being the age of the home (which, at the time, was nearly the centennial mark) — and it took some time to drive the bill down. But, eventually, I did it — and it was, in part, thanks to the fact that I became mindful of how many of these 24 mistakes I was making, thus inadvertently driving up my electric bill without realizing it.
Are you making any of these mistakes?
1. Drafty Doors & Leaky Windows
One of your home’s biggest energy drains comes from drafty doors and leaky windows. This is especially true in older homes, where “original fixtures” take priority over modern improvements. (This isn’t always advisable, especially if the “original fixtures” are hazardous and/or otherwise violate modern building codes.)
However, according to Capitol Home Improvements, a home improvement specialist in the DMV (Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia) area, doors and windows that aren’t properly insulated will lead to your home being too hot in the summer, and too cold in the winter. Consequently, your electricity bill will go through the roof.
2. “Phantom Power”
“Phantom power” refers to the power leached by appliances and gadgets even when they’re not in use. CNET notes that “phantom power” — sometimes called “vampire power” — can come from things like electric toothbrushes, television sets, and computers, all of which leach power, and drive up the electricity bill, even when they’re off or not in use.
The solution to this phantom power is simple: unplug appliances and gadgets when they’re not in use. If you’re not sure which appliances leach more power than others, do A/B testing — try unplugging some appliances, then others, to see which “proper” combination works best for your energy needs.
3. Stuffed Air Filters
Homes that have centralized air conditioning and heating have air filters placed on the ducts to filter out dust and other impurities.
That’s why it’s important to periodically clean — and replace — these filters, as dust slows down the flow of air, which forces your system to work harder to keep the home cooler (or hotter). Consequently, this will lead to a spike in your electricity bill.
4. Filthy Ducts
Homeowners with centralized heat and air conditioning must also maintain their duct systems — and that includes keeping them clean. (You may have seen some commercials from well-known carpet cleaning companies that also now offer duct cleaning. If you have centralized heating and A/C, it may behoove you to phone them up and get a cleaning quote.)
Dirty ducts can — and will — significantly drive your electricity bill up, because your systems will not be working as efficiently as they should.
5. Unsealed Chimneys
Homes that have a chimney often have the added advantage of getting an alternative source of heat in the wintertime. But not all chimneys are created equal.
According to the experts at Copeland, an unsealed chimney damper can drive up your electricity bill by as much as 30 percent — or $200 per year. That’s a whole lot more than any perceived savings may give you — so it’s important to periodically check your damper and see if it needs to be repaired, or replaced.
6. Furniture in All the Wrong Places
Arranging your furniture isn’t just about having a personal preference, or doing feng shui on the place. If there’s a piece of furniture (for example, a couch) that’s blocking an air vent or a source of circulation, the room won’t heat up or cool down as quickly, and your electricity bill will go up.
Instead, keep all ducts, air vents, and circulation sources clear so that you don’t waste electricity and, thus, drive your bill up.
7. Not Enough Power Strips
In today’s tech-heavy world, nearly all homes have several electronics and other phantom power appliances.
And NOPEC in Ohio notes that you don’t have to become Luddites to have a low electricity bill. Rather, plugging your phantom power appliances into power strips will go a long way in regulating the expense.
8. No Led Lights
While nearly all homes have some form of LED lighting, few homeowners realize the importance of making your whole home LED-compatible.
A report by the US Department of Energy notes that LED lights reduce electricity bills by as much as 90 percent a year. Best of all, you don’t have to get the glaring “daylight” version of the LED — you can get a softer, more muted brightness.
9. Appliances Running at Night
Yes, some appliances will need to be plugged in at all times (your refrigerator and freezer, for example).
However, most of your other appliances — such as your television and your Internet modem — will not need to be plugged in while you’re sleeping at 3:00 a.m. Televisions and modems are huge consumers of “vampire power,” which will drive your electric bill up quite significantly — and needlessly. (Plus, if you have little ones in the house, unplugging the modem will prevent them from hopping on the video games at an ungodly hour when they should be sleeping.)
10. Running the Dryer Unnecessarily
Consumer Reports notes that running a dryer for your clothes when it’s a bright sunny day will significantly spike your energy bill unnecessarily. As long as your town allows clotheslines and standalone hangers (believe it or not, there are some towns and cities where hanging a clothesline or a standalone hanger is strictly forbidden — several towns in New York, for example, don’t allow clotheslines), use them when the weather permits.
The outlet also notes that having a dirty dryer vent — which should be regularly cleaned — will also contribute to a higher electricity bill, as it won’t dry clothes efficiently (and can pose a fire hazard).
11. No Smart Thermostats
Some people may be hesitant to install a smart thermostat in their homes, especially in the wake of the recent Crowdstrike crash. But a report from CBS News notes that failing to do so will result in a significantly higher electric bill.
“It could end up saving you money on electricity or gas — enough to pay back the thermostat many times over,” notes the report. “A summary of studies on Nest thermostat usage shows “savings equal to about 10% to 12% of heating usage and electric savings equal to about 15% of cooling usage in homes with central air conditioning.”
12. Torn Window Screens
People who live in temperate or tropical climates can, periodically, open their windows to let the fresh air in.
But if a window screen is torn, bugs and other vermin can make their way into the home.
13. Leaving Inside Doors Open When the Room Is Not in Use
A simple, “Why didn’t I think of that?” solution to high electric bills is to close inside doors to rooms that aren’t in use.
By keeping the door to, for example, your bedroom closed when you’re working in your home office, you can keep the heating (or cooling) from wafting into areas that aren’t being used, and keep your electric bill at a manageable rate.
14. A Blasting Hot Water Heater
According to SlashGear, approximately 18 percent of the energy used in a typical household comes from a water heater that’s on the highest possible setting.
Your personal preferences are, of course, your own, but be prepared to pay for the privilege of water hotter than the Ninth Ring of Dante’s Inferno.
15. Using Too Much Hot Water
It may seem counterintuitive to think that using too much water will drive up your electricity bill. After all, most water heaters run on natural gas, not electricity.
However, Shipley Energy in York, PA, notes that homes with electric water heaters can attribute about 18 percent of their total electric bill to the appliance, which means that using too much hot water will bump your bill up quite significantly.
16. Outdated Blinds
Outdated blinds aren’t just an aesthetic nightmare — they can drive your electricity bill up, too.
When blinds are old and otherwise inefficient, they allow sunlight in, which makes the room hotter than it should be — which, in turn, requires the air conditioner to run longer than it needs to, and which consequently drives the electric bill through the roof.
17. Not Using Exhaust Fans
Homes with exhaust fans are getting harder to find, as “new builds” don’t usually have them.
However, older homes are replete with exhaust fans, which drive hot stale air out of the home at a fraction of the cost of other forms of heating and cooling.
18. Using an Oven Unnecessarily
There is almost no need to use an oven in the heat of the summertime. The oven, obviously, throws excess heat in the air, which forces your air conditioner to work harder to keep the air cool, and subsequently driving up your electricity bill.
If you simply must bake in the summertime, do so in the late afternoon or early evening, when the air is much cooler.
19. Missing Insulation in “Hidden Areas”
“Hidden areas” of your home — such as the area behind your toilet bowl — are often missing insulation for a variety of reasons (mostly having to do with access to the pipes, electrical wires, and support beams).
Areas that don’t have updated insulation whisk the energy out of a room, meaning your electricity will have to work twice as hard to keep the temperature level in your home.
20. No Timers on Your Plugs
Timers on plugs are especially important during the holidays, when celebratory lights are common decorations.
“By scheduling the operation of electronics, such as lights or air conditioners, users can reduce unnecessary energy consumption and save on electricity bills,” note the experts at Now Power in Texas. “Outlet timers are particularly beneficial for appliances that do not need to run continuously, such as holiday lights or heaters.”
21. Inefficient Appliances
In 2024, the Biden administration began implementing regulations on certain appliances, according to The Washington Post — which naturally created an oppositional talking point about “Biden coming for your gas stoves.”
The Biden administration was tackling the lack of efficiency standards on gas stoves and other appliances, which drive up energy costs in general, and electricity costs in particular.
22. Blasting A/C’s & Heaters Unnecessarily
The importance of Mother Nature cannot be overstated when it comes to driving down your electric bill. No one’s suggesting you either freeze — or sweat — to death, but there’s nothing wrong with opening a few windows on a temperate day.
Blasting air conditioners and heaters unnecessarily — when the wind, fresh air, and a nice fan will set the temperature just fine — will crank your electric bill up.
23. Being Disorganized in Your Updates
Handymen (and handywomen) who invest in a “fixer-upper” home enjoy the challenge of taking a diamond in the rough and polishing it to be the neighborhood gem.
But failing to do so in an organized manner can unnecessarily raise your electric bill. Updates that take energy efficiency into account (such as improved insulation and fixing leaky doors and windows) take precedence over cosmetic repairs.
24. Not Taking Advantage of a Free Home Energy Assessment
Yes, indeed, energy assessments are often your electric company’s way of trying to upsell you on products that you don’t think you need. But that’s not really the full picture.
A free home energy assessment will identify all of your home’s “pain points” — in other words, everything discussed here, and then some — and put it together for you in one handy list that you can periodically refer to as you make the necessary updates to your home.