It’s important to understand how your home uses electricity so you can make informed decisions about how to manage your usage and lower your electricity bill.
Heat is the biggest user of electricity in your home. If your primary heat source is electric, during the colder winter months, you should expect to see an increase in your electricity bill. This is mainly because your electric heaters are working harder to maintain the temperature you’ve set in your home.
There are several things you can do to keep your heat in and the cold air out, such as sealing windows and ensuring you have the proper amount of insulation in your home. Visit takeCHARGE for information about air sealing and insulation rebate programs and learn about winter energy efficiency tips.
Want to know more about heat loss and how it affects your bill? Use this tool to explore how the conditions outdoors can affect the energy use of an electrically heated home.
If you do not have electric heat, you can expect other things in your home such as hot water, appliances/electronics and lighting, to have a greater impact on your electricity bill.
We offer tips to help you manage your usage through takeCHARGE. Learn more about:
Hot water Appliances and Electronics Lighting
A good way to check if you’re using more or less electricity than usual is to look at your current bill and compare it your usage from the same month last year. Comparing it to last month’s bill isn’t as helpful because the weather changes with the seasons. You can find this information on your bill or online in My Account. The number of days on each bill can be different, so look at the “average kWh per day.” This gives you the best comparison.
Visit My Account to compare your usage.
You can smooth out the ups and downs of seasonal bills by joining our Equal Payment Plan. Your bill is based on your actual usage over the last year – just, broken down into 12 equal payments – so the months with less usage help cover the months with more.
Visit My Account to find out what your monthly bill could be.
Meter Readings and Estimates
We know it’s important to get actual meter readings. Our meters are read remotely by meter readers in your area. It is no longer necessary to enter a customer’s property to read the meter. So don’t be surprised that you haven’t seen a meter reader on your street or property.
It is very rare that we would have to estimate your meter reading. However, it may sometimes be required. This can happen if there is bad weather or if we can’t get a signal from your meter. If your meter reading is estimated it will be clearly marked on your bill. When we can read your meter again, we’ll update your account to show the actual electricity you used. You only pay for the electricity you use.
Learn More About Estimates
Learn how to save money and energy with takeCHARGE rebates and programs.
Saving Energy Starts Here