Home Energy Basics:
Your First Steps to Savings
Identify the Energy
Eaters in your home | Next steps
Saving money on your electric bill is easy when you know how much
energy you're using and where you can reduce usage and trim costs.
At FPL, we can help you understand why you use the energy you do
and find ways to keep your bills down.
Identify the Energy Eaters in your home
On average, the top energy users in most households are:
- cooling and heating
- water heating and
- major appliances.
However, it's important to note that your energy bill is unique to
your home. That's because there are a variety of factors that can
increase energy consumption, and the impact will be different on each
household.
Things that can make your bill go up include:
Cause
| Effect |
| Weather |
Hot weather - Your air conditioner runs longer in hot
weather, even if you never change your thermostat. And during
the hottest months, cooling can account for half or more of
your electric bill.
Cold weather - Heating your home costs two to three
times as much as cooling it. And the colder the weather, the
longer your heater will run.
Water - People who tend to take longer showers in
colder weather increase their water heating costs.
Humidity - When you lower your thermostat to stay
comfortable in humid weather, it causes your A/C to run longer,
which increases energy use. |
| Occupancy |
Energy use will increase if you have houseguests, children
home for the summer or family members who work from home. |
| Lifestyle |
Families that set the thermostat extra cool in the summer
and extra warm in the winter will have higher bills for those
months.
Homes with a pool or spa typically spend more to run pumps and
in some cases heaters.
Installing additional outside decorative lighting can increase
your bill.
Adding additional appliances may also cause your bill to go
up. |
Next steps
Ready to learn more? Follow these links:
FPL's Top 10
Tips to Save You Money
See Your Energy Use for Yourself
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