Troubleshooting Your Bill

Understanding Your Energy Bill

Understanding how you are billed may help you understand how you can control your usage and demand, and in turn lower your electric bill. It may also explain why some months are higher than others.

Use the information in the chart below to help answer questions on your bill. If you still have questions, we are happy to take your call and assist you, or you can

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to send us a message. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

Click here

to see a copy of an Access Energy Cooperative bill, with a description of each section on the bill.

The kilowatt hours (kWh) you use and the monthly demand (KW) you set are the main drivers of cost on your electric bill. The best place to review the kilowatt hour and demand history on your account is by using the SmartHub app either on our website or in the app for mobile devices. In SmartHub, you can compare month to month, year to year, even day to day usage to see how you are using energy. This may help you look for ways to change your usage habits that could help lower your bill.

Click here

for more information on SmartHub.

Check to be sure your bill doesn't have any other charges beyond energy and demand charges. Does it include any unusual service fees such as a deposit or disconnection fees, returned check fees, etc.?

Have any past-due amounts from a previous bill been added to the total?
Are there ancillary charges added to the bill for other products or services?

Heating and cooling generally comprise the largest portion of your bill. An increase in heating or cooling will cause an increase in your bill.

Take a look at the kilowatt hour and demand totals compared month to month. If winter months seem higher than others, it is likely due to things like heating your home or increased water heater use, and things like space heater use, electric fire places, and livestock or vehicle heating equipment cal also cause an increase in the winter.

An increase in usage in the summer months generally indicates an increase in air conditioning for your home. Variances in temperature can create a significant difference in usage from day to day, or even from year to year. Running a dehumidifier, watering lawns, gardens, or animals can also affect energy use in the summer if your water is run by an electric pump.

Sometimes we just don’t realize how much electricity we are actually using. Make a list of the appliances in your home. Just seeing a list of how many things you have plugged in can help make sense of energy use habits and how they can affect your bill.

All appliances do not use the same amount of electricity, but if they are plugged in, they are probably using some -- even if they are not turned on. Most members gradually add more and more electrical devices, causing a gradual increase in the electricity consumed.

If leave your home for an extended period of time for business or vacation, remember that any appliance you leave plugged in or connected will continue to use electricity even while you are gone, especially your water heater, freezer, refrigerator, HVAC system, landscape irrigation, well pump, etc.

Most of us note that the TV and lights were not on, but we forget about the other items.

You could save a little while you are away by setting the temperature on your water heater to the vacation mode, or just turning it down. Adjust the temperature of your heating system or air conditioner so it runs less while you are away. If your refrigerator is basically empty while you are gone, you can put gallons of water in your refrigerator to help maintain a consistent temperature; and then turn the temperature up as well.

No two households use energy the same way, so comparing your energy bill to your neighbor’s is like comparing apples to oranges. It is best to compare your current use to your own past use.

Some other things to consider that could cause an increase in electric usage:

Did the size of your household increase?
Has someone stayed at home more than in the past?
Have you added a new swimming pool or hot tub?
Have you had guests stay for an extended period?
Do you have hobbies that include the use of power tools, ovens, appliances or other electrical devices that use a lot of power?

The location of refrigerators and freezers is very important. Never place a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight or in unconditioned space such as a breeze way, garage or out-building. The refrigerator or freezer will have to work harder to overcome excessive heat during warmer months. Make sure that your refrigerators and freezers have adequate ventilation.

Make sure you use efficient lighting to save energy. LEDs are available in various colors, styles, and shapes that can fit in most places where an incandescent bulb is. In places where you use the most lighting, it makes sense to replace high wattage lighting with lower usage LED lights.

If an appliance is more than 15 years old, the efficiency of that appliance may be decreasing significantly and requiring more energy to do its job. It is important to clean or replace the condenser, coils or filters on some appliances regularly. You may need to replace the appliance itself.

Many times old electrical wiring will have loose connections resulting in increased electrical use and create potential safety hazards. It is a good practice to have older wiring inspected regularly for safety and efficiency.

Power tools and other electrical equipment is necessary for making repairs and remodeling a home. This could cause an increase in energy use.

Have you added any space to your home? If rooms or addtions were added, did the contractor re-evaluate your heating and cooling system(s) to ensure it is adequate to accomodate the new space? Did they properly install return air vents?.

Has there been any underground excavation recently? If you have underground wiring, the electrical wires may have been nicked resulting in a direct short.