Is your bill higher than you expected? The member services department often addresses this concern with these questions: Have you added a new appliance or equipment? Have you added to the number of people in your household? Has it been exceptionally hot or cold? Have you had any problems with a hot water heater, well pump or other device in your home?
Comparing your bill to the bill of someone else is not a true reflection of where your electric consumption should be. The only accurate way to estimate your electric consumption is to look at all of your appliances, electronics, lighting and other devices, as well as the number of hours they are used each day. Remember, you also have to include appliances or tools that you may only use seasonally or occasionally. These may include heaters, block heaters, heat tapes, air conditioners, dehumidifiers or pool pumps.
When your electric consumption has increased considerably, it is also important to look at the timeframe your bill covers. The dates can be found under the Meter Details section of your bill. What may have been going on during that time that would have increased your electric consumption?
An extremely helpful tool to use is SmartHub. By accessing your account on SmartHub, you can see the kilowatt hours that your home has consumed on a daily basis.This allows you to look back to the date that something may have changed. It's easy to set up your account; just hit the SmartHub icon at the top of the page and select the "New User?" option to sign up for access. Click on the My Usage tab, and all of your information will be available.
If your electric consumption still seems unusually high with no explanation, please call the member services department at 1-800-326-9799 or 570-265-2167 to speak with a representative. To help us investigate your electric use, a checklist may be provided to you. Once the form is returned, we will contact you to discuss the findings. If needed, we will set up a convenient time to further investigate your electric consumption with an on-site home energy investigation.