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Think
about things that are different in your household. Did you entertain more visitors than normal? Did you buy a new computer or a high-definition flat-screen TV?Those new TVs, especially the big ones, really spin
your meter.
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How
warm do you keep your house in the winter?
Typically, turning down your thermostat just three degrees can
reduce your bill by 10%. Also, consider using a
programmable thermostat that can automatically lower your heat
when you're not at home.
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Are
you being attacked by vampire appliances?
Cable boxes, TVs, DVD players, game consoles, etc... -- even
when turned off -- all continue draw
electricity if they are plugged directly into your wall outlets. Instead,
plug them into a power strip and switch the power strip off when
these items are not in use.
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Hot
water can be costly.
Set your water heater at 120-degrees or
less. If it's located in an unheated garage, purchase a
water-heater blanket. Is a hot-water faucet leaking?
Is your water heater functioning properly? Yearly
maintenance is recommended.
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Are
you still using incandescent light bulbs? If so,
consider switching to CFLs or LEDs. Although a bit more
expensive to purchase, both last much longer than incandescents,
and draw much less power.
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Holidays can
sure spark a higher than normal electric bill. Consider all the extra lights that are on
during the holidays. And the cooking, your oven is probably on more than it's off!
LED Christmas lights draw much less power and are cool
to-the-touch.
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Do you
really need all of these things on -- all the time?
Are you heating your garage all year long? Are
you running a half-empty refrigerator freezer out there? Do
you have electric heat tapes
around your plumbing?
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Was your
billing period for more than the normal 30 days?
Look at the per-day cost compared with the
prior year to get a better handle on whether this is really unusual usage.
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Make
sure the meter reading used for billing is correct.
You can read your own meter and
compare it with the reading shown on your bill. It's rare, but mistakes do happen.
How to read your own meter.
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