It’s not uncommon for the average American to simply pay up when their electricity bill arrives at the end of every month, and not take the time to look at it in any great detail. However, while all Americans who haven’t yet achieved energy independence through a solar and battery installation, must pay for their electricity usage, failing to check the bill each month and monitor their electricity usage, could result in utility bills that are much higher than they’re expecting.
If you want to try and lower your utility expenses – whether you have a solar panel system or not – understanding how your household uses electricity, can help you do exactly that.
What factors influence your electricity bill every month?
Below are some of the most significant factors impacting your utility bill:
- Electricity consumed (people in the household and their habits)
- The price per watt of utility electricity
- Time of Use (TOU) billing or surge rates
- Availability of net metering (for solar customers)
- How energy efficient your home is
What are some of the benefits of monitoring your electricity consumption?
While it may take a little time each month, it’s worth monitoring your household’s electricity consumption for the following reasons:
- Gives you an insight into how much electricity you use
- Enables you to easily identify heavy usage of appliances
- Provides you with data to identify trends in consumption
- Can save you money on your electricity bills
How can you measure your household’s energy consumption?
Fortunately, there are technologies available today, such as smart meters, that can help homeowners monitor their electricity usage, and save money on their bills. But before we discuss that, let’s see what you should be looking for on your electricity bill:
- What electricity you use every month is displayed on your electric bill, and is measured in kilowatt hours (equal to 1000 Wh).
- Your electricity consumption is billed based upon a standard rate of cents/kWh.
- To get to your billed rate, all you need to do is divide the amount you’ve been billed, by your usage of kWh.
Smart meters enable you to see the energy usage of each individual appliance, giving you the opportunity to add up how much money it is costing you to run each space in your home.
Consumption monitoring systems for non-solar customers
Even for those homeowners without a solar panel system installed, you can use a smart meter to get a better understanding of your electricity consumption, and monitor it more closely. Check your daily, weekly, and monthly usage data for any trends that might be appearing, which can help you break bad habits associated with usage, decide whether to replace old appliances (and replace them with upgraded, energy efficient models), boost the energy efficiency of your home, or opt to have a solar panel system installed.
Most American homeowners now recognize the need for producing cleaner, greener energy in terms of saving the planet for future generations, and solar panel installations are increasing both in popularity and affordability throughout the U.S., with every passing year. But, by using a system to monitor both solar production and electricity usage, solar homeowners can quickly begin to see their potential for self-sufficiency, and bring their utility bills down, or eliminate them altogether.
But as explained, even for non-solar homeowners, there are many benefits to electricity consumption monitoring, and with a device like a smart meter, it couldn’t be easier.
