A redditor took to the platform to ask for help with their incredibly high energy bills.
Posting in the r/electrical subreddit, the Central Texas resident shared their plight.
They opened by writing, “I know this has probably been posted ad nauseam but I am at a loss for words at the amount of money I am spending on my electric bill. I did a lot of research but could not find the culprit of this money drain.”
“Paid almost $2,000 in the last 3 months for electricity,” they wrote. “I realize it’s summer and the bill will naturally increase during these months, but clearly there is something causing this increase. I got a bill in July for $780 and saw that we used 3,500 kwh. We were running the AC at 72 almost all day.
“After that, I turn off the AC in the morning and only turn it on when we get home from work around 6:30 pm. We still somehow used over 2,500 kwh for August and my bill was $550. We’re approaching 2,000 kwh for this month, and that’s when the power company raises its rate from 11 cents for 17kw/17kw.”
They explained that they weren’t using the energy for more than “normal daily life” and weren’t sure what was causing the high energy bills.
Rising energy prices are a huge problem in the United States, and it’s only getting worse. According to NPR, the price of energy is increasing at twice the rate of inflation in the United States, mostly driven by increased demand from data centers that run large language model platforms such as Gemini and Google’s ChatGPT.
With energy costs on the rise, there are many ways to reduce your energy bills, but one of the best and most effective is solar panels. TCD’s Solar Explorer is a great way to save money when installing your panels, helping you understand your options when starting the solar process.
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The commentators in this case were quick to point out some ways to find where they were drawing power.
“Taking a basic $15 clamp meter across your panel for each circuit tells you a lot, but be careful and don’t do it if you’re not comfortable doing it,” one said, “Ask for help here if you need more info.”
“Use the display on your meter to go circuit by circuit looking for the culprit,” said another.
A third commenter had more direct advice for solving the problem: “Get solar panels.”
Another fantastic way to lower your utility bill is with an updated HVAC system. TCD’s HVAC Explorer can help you find the system that’s right for your home and budget.
And to further help your budget, the free Palmetto Home app can earn you up to $5,000 in rewards to spend on home improvements through simple tasks in your everyday life.
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