Unusually high energy bill
easy 1–2 h
Tools: your last 13 months of bills or the utility's online graph, flashlight, incense stick or thin tissue, plug-in power meter (optional) · Materials: weatherstripping or foam gaskets for outlet covers, HVAC filter
Steps
- Compare this month with the same month last year, not last month — weather explains most swings; a jump of 30 % or more with similar weather is the signal.
- Check whether the increase is on electricity or gas: gas points at heating or hot water, electricity at cooling, the water heater, or something running continuously.
- Replace the HVAC filter and check that every register is open; a clogged filter makes the system run far longer for the same comfort.
- Feel the water heater and the pipes leaving it: a hot tank jacket or a hot pipe far from the tank means heat is leaking; set the thermostat to 49 °C (120 °F).
- On a windy day, hold a smoking incense stick near windows, doors and exterior outlets; where the smoke bends, add weatherstripping or a foam gasket.
- Switch off breakers one at a time for an hour each while watching the meter; a circuit that spins the meter with nothing switched on has a fault or a hidden load.
Stop and call a pro if
- the meter turns with the main breaker off — call the utility
- a breaker or outlet is warm, smells hot or buzzes
- the gas bill jumped and you can smell gas anywhere — leave and call the gas company from outside
What a pro does that you can't
An HVAC technician measures the system's actual output and duct leakage, and an energy auditor's blower-door test finds the leaks and missing insulation that a walk-round cannot.
DIY cost: $10–40 in a filter, gaskets and weatherstripping