Energy Usage Costs

We start with the greatest of all energy consumers – heating and cooling systems. This will be the largest portion of the energy charge on most bills.

Perhaps we don’t think about it each time we turn up the thermostat, or add 1 more space heater in the house, but it all adds up.

Solutions:

1. Turn thermostats down a couple more degrees – a few degrees can save a few percent on your bill.
2. Make sure your system is maintained annually to run at its most efficient.
3. Check for any air leaks around windows or doors and seal them up.
4. Insulation is critical to help heating and cooling systems work their best.

Solutions:

1. Make sure the thermostat is not set above 120 degrees – not only will this save you energy, but it’s safer for use!
2. Take shorter showers – just a few minutes shorter can add up per shower.
3. Use cold water in your laundry rinse instead of hot or warm water – this can make a huge difference (more on appliances coming up).

If you are looking at upgrading either of these big energy consumers, we have incentives for ductless heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. Find out more on our incentives page.

Amounts are based on averages and estimates, but actual amounts will vary based on make/model, wear/tear, and frequency of use.

You’ve probably heard that LEDs are more efficient than incandescent bulbs, but are you aware of how much?

Myth: LEDs are so much more expensive to buy that it isn’t worth it to upgrade.

Truth: Because of the energy efficiency AND longer life of LEDs, it is well worth it to change those bulbs out.

The energy cost of an incandescent light bulb is 6 times more than an LED! That means the average home could save about $300 per year if 50 bulbs were replaced with LED (if lights are on for an average of 6 hours/day).

Whatever happened to those corkscrew CFLs? Well, they are more efficient than incandescent, but they aren’t safer, due to the mercury they contain. We recommend you get rid of those bulbs, disposing of them properly when possible – certain stores, recycling centers, or landfills can do this for you.

Modern LEDs are not like their LED ancestors. We remember when they weren’t very bright, gave off a weird color, were super expensive, etc. But that’s not the case with today’s LEDs – you have many options to choose from, and they are hardly indistinguishable from incandescent bulbs (except, of course, for how much less power they use). They are also safer – they don’t get hot like other bulbs.

Although we don’t have any energy efficiency incentives for lighting, we hope you will get on board! Find more information about the incentives we do offer on our incentives pages.

Amounts are based on averages and estimates, but actual amounts will vary based on make/model, wear/tear, and frequency of use.

Laundry is among 1 of the least favorite chores for the average American, and it also happens to be 1 of the appliances that require the most energy.

Updated, efficient appliances can make a big difference on the bill. Nowadays, all the appliances you purchase from a store are energy efficient, some more than others. In fact, home appliances are so much more efficient than they used to be that rebates have largely gone away nationwide – it’s expected that consumers must go with efficient options, so no need to incentivize.

Jetted tubs or hot tubs are like an extra large water heater, and use a large amount of energy to work. The exact amount of energy is determined by the wattage of the heater, the pump, and how often the hot tub is on.

Minimal energy users: curling irons, robot vacuums, night lights, and sleep apnea machines.

Amounts are based on averages and estimates, but actual amounts will vary based on make/model, wear/tear, and frequency of use.

It seems there are never enough outlets or counter space for all the cool kitchen gadgets we can buy today! But which ones can affect your power bill? We looked into a few of them.

It’s probably no surprise that the bigger appliances – refrigerators, freezers, ovens – use the most energy. What might surprise folks is how big of a difference an efficient appliance makes. For instance, upgrading from a standard refrigerator (that one that just won’t die and is a topic of conversation at dinner parties) to an Energy Star certified fridge can save you around $40 per year.

Another surprise might be how little energy many of our kitchen gadgets actually use. You’re gonna have to use that toaster to death to really make any difference on your bill. Single-serve coffee makers? You’ll need to make a coffee constantly for at least 30 hours before it will cost you $1.

So, when it comes to making more efficient decisions to lower your bill, it’s not going to be in how you use your waffle iron, but how much you leave that fridge door open. If you have an older oven/stovetop, fridge, or freezer, look into the upgrade. And if you have an “energy saver” cycle on your dishwasher, that could cut the appliance’s energy usage in half or better.

Amounts are based on averages and estimates, but actual amounts will vary based on make/model, wear/tear, and frequency of use.

Here’s 1 of the trickier charts we have so far – electronics. So much of it depends on the make/model and particular function of the item before we can really figure out how much energy it consumes.

Our first big note about electronics: Most of them still drain a little bit of energy when they are turned off but still plugged in. We call this “phantom” energy usage. To combat this, if you aren’t using your electronics much, don’t just turn them off – unplug them, too.

Streaming our favorite shows and movies is pretty popular, and how much energy it costs depends on 2 main factors:

1. What TV/screen are you using?
2. What device are you streaming with?

Watching all 73 hours of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will cost you only a matter of pennies on a LED Smart TV with streaming services built-in, but will cost you about $1 to watch it on a plasma TV through a gaming console.

Speaking of gaming consoles, here’s our second big note: The energy usage depends on the function. For example, just leaving the menu active on a game console will cost you at least a penny for every 3 hours. Streaming services are about 1.5 to 2¢ for every 3 hours. And playing graphically-complicated games will cost you at least 2¢ for every 3 hours on average.

But all told, electronics are typically not your main consumer of electricity in the house. If you are using plasma or older televisions (basically anything that isn’t LED) then that’s your biggest consumer. An LED television is about 3 times more efficient than plasma. Some desktop computers can slowly drain energy, so keep an eye on them as well.

Amounts are based on averages and estimates, but actual amounts will vary based on make/model, wear/tear, and frequency of use.

*Gaming consoles' wattage varies depending on use - navigation screens (PS4 88W/Xbox One 72W), streaming movies/shows (PS4 89W/Xbox One 74W), and playing graphically-complicated games (PS4 150W/Xbox One 120W).