Ways to Lower Your Electric Bill

Most high electric bills result from a problem with your heating and cooling system, your use of hot water or a change in your living habits.

1. Look at how you heat and cool your home

Check for:

• Tightness of doors and windows.
• Proper thermostat settings. Pick a set point for the thermostat and stick with it.
• Leaks in duct work.
• Condition of filters (clean or change them monthly).
• Obstructions around exterior heat pump units.

Have a professional check:

• Relays and equipment on baseboard electric heating units.
• Air conditioner refrigerant levels.
• Thermostat operation.
• Compressor cycling in a heat pump unit.

Important note to members with heat pumps

Have a professional check the strips that provide backup heat. The strips can engage while the unit is in the cooling mode, causing higher than normal energy consumption and poor cooling performance. Have your unit serviced prior to each heating and cooling season.

Lower the cost of electric heat

If your home has electric baseboard heat or if you heat with wood or coal and are looking for something more convenient, consider electric thermal storage (ETS). ETS units store heat in specially designed, high density, ceramic bricks during off-peak hours until it is needed. The stored heat is most often used during on-peak hours when electricity is in high demand and is more costly to purchase than during off-peak periods. Individual room units and central (whole-house) units are available. Adams Electric offers special low rates on the electricity used by these units when the unit is equipped with a load control receiver.

2. Check your water heater

Please check:

• The temperature setting (120 degrees recommended by U.S. Department of Energy). On older water heaters with less insulation, for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit you lower the temperature, you save six percent of your water heating energy.
• Insulation on your water heater that might be blocking off vents or any thermostat controls. Water heaters built after 1987 are already well-insulated. Do not wrap gas- or oil-fired water heaters.
• Insulation of hot water pipes, especially if they pass through unheated areas.
• Any kind of leak, either from a faucet, pipe or pressure relief valve. Check all crawl spaces where pipes run.

Contact Adams Electric at 1-888-232-6732 and ask how you can take advantage of the co-op's water heater rebate program.

3. Check your living habits

Compare your living habits to the dates of high electricity consumption shown on your bill. Understand what time period actually makes up the bill in question. Remember that your current bill reflects last month's electricity consumption. Ask yourself these questions about your lifestyle during that time:

• Was it extremely cold, hot or humid during that time?
• Were there any illnesses at that time during which the heat may have been turned up?
• Were any new family members or guests in the house?
• Did you turn back the air conditioner, heat or water heater while you were out of town?
• Did you use extra lighting, electronic equipment or other electric equipment?
• Are you using heat tapes to keep water pipes from freezing?
• Have you added any new major appliances or a new hot tub?
• Were the kids home from school for the holidays?

4. Read your meter on a regular schedule

Always try to read your electric meter on the same day each month to avoid longer or shorter periods over which readings are taken. Find out more about reading your electric meter.

Is my meter correct?

Adams Electric tests meters before they are installed and periodically to make sure they are accurate. The chance that a defective meter caused a high electric bill is a remote one.

If you still have a question about your electric bill, contact Adams Electric Cooperative at (717) 334-2171 or toll-free 1-888-232-6732 and ask to speak to a member services representative.

*NOTE: Our goal is to respond to e-mails as quickly as possible, but your message may be delayed due to spam-filtering software. To avoid delays, please include a subject in the subject line. If this is an emergency, please dial toll-free 1-888-232-6732 at any time.