My electricity company: Your house is performing inefficient compared to other houses your size

 The Question:

I received an email from my electricity company stating that my house is performing inefficient compared to other houses my size. We don’t use the clothing dryer, run the dishwasher and washer in the late evening hours, I purchased a no-frills simple fridge that wouldn’t consume too much electricity. Half of my windows are new, and I keep the temperature in the summer at around 72°. What else am I missing?

What did people say?

  • ⇒ Maab: I just ignore those letters. I know I'm conserving as much as I can already.
  • ⇒ Elizabeth: Some places offer a free energy assessment.
  • ⇒ Amber: Could be that you keep your house at 72. I do as well, but recommended during high heat is 78. My perimenopausal self cannot do 78. I try to do 75 during the day, but I sit with a fan pointed directly at me.
  • ⇒ Eileen Minor: Change lightbulbs to LED. Also, does the electric company offer a free energy review? Ours does and they will send someone out to go over potential issues.
  • ⇒ Michele: I got that notice before. It's every time I start using the a/c. It's bull. Don't worry about it.
  • ⇒ Cathy: If my house was 72°, I’d be needing a sweater. Raise that thermostat to 75° at a minimum.
  • ⇒ Shawna: You’re missing the sales pitch. Those companies are looking for business. They have no real knowledge of your inefficient electricity usage…but for a fee they’ll run an analysis and for a fee they’ll recommend something useful or not and for another fee they’ll install _______ (fill in the blank) and they will keep upselling until you say no. Say no now.
  • ⇒ Gerri: Our electric company does that too. It doesn't necessarily mean anything true. But if they get everyone to use less, what happens is they can say they're losing money so they need to raise the rates.

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