Bills & Rates
Fixed Charges vs Usage Charges: Which Parts of Your Bill Can You Change?
Fixed charges usually remain the same no matter how much energy you use, so turning things off mainly reduces the usage portion of the bill.…
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The home energy library
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Appliance Costs
How to Read an EnergyGuide Label Before Buying an Appliance
An EnergyGuide label helps you compare an appliance's estimated annual energy use and operating cost with similar models. Read the model type and capacity first,…
Save Energy
Energy-Saving Changes Renters Can Make Without Major Renovations
Renters can lower energy waste without renovations by sealing drafts with removable weatherstripping, draft stoppers, and window film; switching to LED bulbs; cutting standby loads;…
Bills & Rates
Why Is My Electricity Bill Higher When My Usage Is the Same?
If billed kWh is about the same but the amount due is higher, the cause is usually a change in price or bill structure rather…
Save Energy
How to Find the Biggest Electricity Users in Your Home
The biggest electricity users are usually found by measuring whole-home consumption over time, then isolating circuits or individual appliances with a monitor or plug-in meter.…
Save Energy
LED Lighting Savings: When Replacing a Working Bulb Makes Sense
Replacing a working incandescent or halogen bulb can make sense when the fixture runs many hours and the LED price is reasonable; in high-use sockets,…
Energy Explained
Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy: Sources, Uses, and Trade-Offs
Renewable energy resources are replenished by natural processes or human action, while nonrenewable resources are finite and eventually run out. For a U.S. household, the…
Bills & Rates
Home Electricity Costs Explained: What Drives Your Monthly Bill?
Your monthly electric bill is driven mainly by how many kilowatt-hours you use and the prices and fixed charges that apply to that use. Weather,…
Bills & Rates
How to Read Your Electricity Bill: Usage, Rates, Fees, and Charges
To read an electricity bill, start with the billing period and total kWh, then separate fixed charges from variable supply and delivery charges. Divide the…
Energy Explained
How Electricity Reaches Your Home: Generation, Grids, and Billing
Electricity reaches a U.S. home through a chain that starts at a power plant, moves across high-voltage transmission lines, passes through local distribution wires and…