Why Is My Electric Bill Still So High?

The worst of summer may be easing, but your house may still be costing you more than it should.

September in Houston can be deceptive. We've had some rain and an occasional break from the worst of the summer heat, but temperatures are still regularly reaching into the 90s.

So when the electric bill arrives, another expensive month may not be particularly surprising.

But what if the weather isn't the whole explanation?

Air conditioning is certainly one of the largest energy users in a Houston home, but the amount of work your system has to do depends partly on the house around it. Conditioned air escaping through gaps, deteriorated weatherstripping, poorly sealed penetrations, or other weaknesses in the building envelope can make it harder to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.

Moisture can matter, too. Houston's humidity doesn't disappear just because the temperature drops a few degrees. Your air-conditioning system isn't only cooling the air; it's also removing moisture from it. Conditions that allow excess humidity into the home can increase the workload required to keep the interior comfortable.

Then there are the less obvious energy users.

A pool pump running longer than necessary, an aging refrigerator in the garage, a water heater working harder than it should, or equipment that's gradually become less efficient can quietly add dollars to the monthly bill. Individually, the difference may seem small. Over an entire summer, it adds up.

That's why an unusually high electric bill is worth looking at as information rather than simply an expense.

Compare your usage—not just the dollar amount—with the same period last year. Electricity rates can change, so a larger bill doesn't necessarily mean the house used more power. If consumption has increased substantially, think about what has changed.

Are you keeping the thermostat at the same temperature? Has your household schedule changed? Have you added appliances or equipment? Is one part of the house suddenly harder to cool? Does the indoor air feel more humid? Is equipment running longer than you remember?

Sometimes there is a perfectly ordinary explanation.

But if there isn't, the bill may be pointing you toward a part of the home that's no longer performing quite as efficiently as it once did.

September may give Houston homeowners the first hint that cooler weather is eventually coming. If your energy use doesn't begin easing when the weather does, that's when the numbers become particularly interesting.

Before assuming another high bill is simply the price of living through a Texas summer, find out what you're actually paying for.