Energy use varies from month to month. Sometimes if you experience an increase in your bill, you may wonder if something is wrong. The information below may help you understand why your energy bill could fluctuate. For more specifics, visit BGE's Home Energy Calculator or Money Savings Tips.
Weather
Weather plays a major role in energy use. As the weather gets hotter or colder, your air conditioning or heating system has to work harder to maintain your thermostat setting. So the hotter or colder it gets outside, the more energy you use inside, even if you don't change your thermostat setting from one month to another.
And remember: Seasonal changes and having more people in your home during holidays and vacations can result in higher energy use.
Billing Period
Your billing period can vary from 28 to 34 days (see #3 and #4 on the sample bill for days used), depending on when the meter is read. Consider this when comparing monthly bills, as the number of days in the billing period will impact the amount of energy used.
Estimated Bills
Another consideration is if the meter reading was estimated (learn more about estimated bills). If a meter is estimated, it will be indicated in the Usage Profile box at the top right of your bill. When this happens, we will estimate your bill based on the energy you've used in the past, the time of year, etc.
Appliance Usage
Your energy costs also fluctuate from conditions inside your home such as door traffic, use of curtains and even extra appliance usage when the family is inside for longer periods in the winter.
Adding or changing appliances will impact the bill. For example, buying a new refrigerator while keeping the old one running in the basement or installing a larger capacity washing machine will increase usage. Even temporary use of appliances, such as space heaters, can add to your energy costs.
Steps You Can Take to Manage Your Energy Bills
In the winter, lower your thermostat setting. For every degree you lower your thermostat below 73° F, you can save 2-4% in heating costs.
In the summer, set your thermostat at 78° or higher. For every degree you raise your thermostat setting above 72° F, you'll save 5-7% on your cooling costs.
Heating water is the second biggest energy drain in your home. Long showers use 20 gallons or more of hot water. A shower that takes half the time can reduce water heating costs dramatically.
And Budget Billing is a free program that helps customers manage their bills by spreading seasonal variations in heating and cooling costs over the entire year. BGE even pays 6% simple interest when, over the course of the year, usage falls below what is billed. Learn more about Budget Billing.
BGE is Taking Steps, Too
BGE investigates new technology and implements programs to help customers conserve and manage energy use. BGE's Smart Energy Savers ProgramSM is a family of smart choices that will help you conserve energy, save money and help the environment. Learn more about BGE's Smart Energy Savers ProgramSM.
BGE works to ensure the accuracy and integrity of its metering equipment by performing anual inspections and tests on random samples of meters.
Need assistance paying bills? The Maryland Office of Home Energy Programs has a number of programs designed to help people pay their energy bills.
