You're not alone in asking why your electric bill is so expensive. Each of the 13 largest U.S. urban areas have witnessed increased bills due to the pandemic, with the East Coast leading the way. Electric bills in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston have risen by an additional $37 per month, $34 in New York, and $27 in Boston. Fortunately, several options are available for homeowners who want to go beyond basic energy-saving measures.

Why Your Electricity Bill is So High

Electric bills have increased for a variety of reasons. More people are staying at home due to the pandemic. The necessity of using lights and cranking up the AC throughout the summer are both increasing the amount of energy consumed.

Increased rates on that excess consumption are another, often surprising reason for higher power bills. The idea of bulk buying is that the more you buy, the more you save per unit on most household commodities. But electricity isn't like that.

The more electricity you consume, the more you spend per unit of electricity, which is why your electricity bills are so high. So, if your power bill is double what it usually is, it's not because you consumed twice as much electricity. It's more likely that your utility is charging you more per kilowatt-hour than usual for that additional electricity.

Ways to Save on Your Electric Bill

"Do you save energy by unplugging appliances?" is a question we frequently ask ourselves. And yes! You can save energy that way. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, standby power contributes to up to 10% of total household energy use, which could be another explanation for your high electric bill.

Striking a balance between effort and reward when it comes to appliances can be helpful. You might be able to get away with unplugging things like your cell phone charger because it will save a few cents per month.

How to Discover Unseen Electricity Waste

It’s challenging to make informed decisions about saving energy, whether through disconnecting appliances or other measures unless you wish to look up the power demand for each of your equipment. But, how would you ever detect this basement energy vampire? What about other waste sources?

This can be done more efficiently using a home energy meter. The PowerX home energy monitor is unique in that it can track how much electricity each appliance in your home uses. PowerX is a smart device that provides fully automated smart home monitoring solutions using the energy-efficient LoRa connectivity standard.

PowerX system's machine learning detects every appliances unique electrical signature, which then tracks it anytime it goes on and off. It's like a wearable fitness tracker for your home!

PowerX learns your home's devices and keeps track of when they turn on/off, how long they operate, and how much energy they use. You can then create monthly savings goals, identify energy waste, and forecast your future electric bill. You gain the power to answer the question "why is my electric bill so high?" by allowing PowerX to tell you exactly where you're wasting energy and therefore simplifying your bill.

PowerX provides fully automated smart home monitoring solutions using the energy-efficient LoRa connectivity standard. Our system helps you monitor and optimize energy consumption and proactively avoid disasters like major leaks. Get in touch today to find out more.