{"id":7139,"date":"2019-01-15T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-15T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/?p=7139"},"modified":"2025-10-03T13:07:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T17:07:11","slug":"electricity-bill-higher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/?p=7139","title":{"rendered":"Why Is My Electricity Bill Higher In The Winter?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Electricity-bill-are-high-in-winter-1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The heat of the summer has turned to cold winter days and perhaps you\u2019re thinking that with no air conditioner constantly running, <a href=\"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/electrical-help\/save-money-on-electric-bill-houston\/\">your electric bill<\/a> may be a few dollars cheaper. But you open your bill each month and that is definitely not the case. So you\u2019re asking, \u201cWhy is my electricity bill higher in the winter?\u201d There are a few season specific factors that drive up energy costs, plus a few household tips that could also be affecting your bill.<\/p>\n<h2>We Use More Electricity In Winter<\/h2>\n<p>Trends show that consumers use more energy in the winter months than they do in summer. Air conditioners and ceiling fans transition to space heaters, electric blankets, and a higher demand for hot water. Trends also show that people spend more time in their homes in winter months, so more electricity is being used for more hours than the summer months. The electricity bill will fluctuate along with the power consumption.<\/p>\n<h2>It Costs More To Generate Electricity<\/h2>\n<p>The path that electricity takes to get from the generator to your home can be complex. The generator transmits power through the grid before it arrives at your local network, which then delivers the electricity to your home. Whenever the demand for power goes up, the cost of power generation and delivery goes up, as the grid becomes more taxed. Consumers will definitely see this reflected in his or her electricity bill.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from these initial cost increases of the winter months, there are several ways that<\/p>\n<p>you can help keep your home more efficient in these winter months to balance cost:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-7140\" title=\"Ceiling fans help reduce the cost of your electricity bill.\" src=\"http:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ceiling-fans-help-reduce-the-cost-of-your-electricity-bill-300x225-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"Ceiling fans help reduce the cost of your electricity bill.\" width=\"217\" height=\"165\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Reverse Your Ceiling Fans<\/p>\n<p>Ceiling fans can lower your electricity bill no matter the season. Changing the direction of your ceiling fan to clockwise and setting it to a lower speed can help the home feel warmer. A clockwise rotation pushes warm air in the room downward to bring up the temperature.<\/p>\n<h2>Adjust Your Water Heater Temperature<\/h2>\n<p>If your water heater is set too high, this can waste a lot of energy. The recommended temperature for a water heater is 120 degrees.<\/p>\n<h2>Close The Garage Door<\/h2>\n<p>Keep the cold air as far away from the interior walls of your home by keeping the garage door closed.<\/p>\n<h2>Close Your Chimney Damper<\/h2>\n<p>Whenever you aren\u2019t enjoying a fire, remember to close the chimney damper. This allows smoke to exit, but its also direct exposure to the cold temperatures when the fireplace isn\u2019t in use.<\/p>\n<h2>Set A Thermostat Schedule<\/h2>\n<p>If your thermostat has a scheduling feature, take advantage of it to help manage the cost <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-7143 size-medium\" title=\"Schedule your thermostat to prevent your electricity bill from raising.\" src=\"http:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/thermostats-reduce-electricity-bills-by-setting-them-up-right-300x200-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"Schedule your thermostat to prevent your electricity bill from raising.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/>of heating your home. The temperature can automatically lower when your family is out of the house during the day or during the night hours. This will keep the demand on your heater, and electricity bill, lower and use energy more efficiently.<\/p>\n<p>If after all of these small adjustments have been made and your electricity bill is still high, there may be larger issues present. An electrical inspection can help confirm suspicions and correct the issues. Some additional things to consider include:<\/p>\n<h2>Problems With The Electrical Meter<\/h2>\n<p>A faulty electrical meter could be giving the power company incorrect readings concerning your energy use. The power company can check to make sure that meter readings are accurate.<\/p>\n<h2>HVAC Efficiency<\/h2>\n<p>Your heating unit could be to blame for spikes in energy usage if the unit is malfunctioning. Leaks in air ducts, dirty filters, and blocked vents can also put additional strain on your heating unit, causing it to run longer and more frequently that what\u2019s truly needed.<\/p>\n<h2>Old, Faulty Wiring<\/h2>\n<p>No matter the season, faulty wiring can make an appearance in your electricity bill. Since the number of devices being used in the home rises during the winter, it can often draw attention to issues caused by old or faulty wiring. The largest indicator of wiring problems are flickering lights, especially when an appliance like a hair dryer or space heater is running, or a noticeable change in the function of your home\u2019s large appliances. A professional electrician should always conduct wiring inspections in your home, especially as old wiring may not be safe or up to code.<\/p>\n<p>Use these tips and tricks to help keep your electricity bill under control this winter season and contact your trusted Mister Sparky CITY electrician today for all of your electrician needs!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/\">Mister Sparky Electrician Houston<\/a>, America\u2019s On-Time Electrician, serves Houston, Texas and the cities of Katy, Sugar Land, Cypress, Spring, The Woodlands and others with a team of certified electricians. In addition to emergency electrical repairs, some of the electrician services provided by the company include electrical outlet\/switch repair, ceiling fan installation, lighting installation, wiring repair, landscape lighting installation and home electrical inspections. Call us today at:<br \/>\n<a href=\"tel:2819078418\"><a href=tel:+12819078418>281-907-8418<\/a><\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-contact-box\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/electrical-help\/\"><strong>View all of our Blog Posts<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>On Time Guarantee<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><em>We&#8217;re Here Whenever You Need Us<\/em><br \/>\n&#8220;We&#8217;re on time you&#8217;ll see or your electrical repair is free&#8221;. We back our superior electrical service with not only integrity, transparency, and dependability, but also our On Time Guarantee. We understand your time is valuable which is why we guarantee we will be there when you call.<\/p>\n<p>When you need expert electrician services in Houston or surrounding areas, just give us a call at <a href=tel:+12819078418>281-907-8418<\/a> or click here to book your appointment online so we can send a Mister Sparky technician to help you as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Red Carpet Treatment<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><em>The Respect you Deserve<\/em><br \/>\nOur technicians understand the value of being neat and considerate while working in your personal space, which is reflected in how we leave your home after solving electrical issues.<\/p>\n<p>Mister Sparky protects your home while he\u2019s working: he slips on shoe covers (&#8220;floor savers&#8221;) and will even go the extra mile and roll out a red carpet to protect your flooring from dirt, scuffing, and scratches. Work completed, he vacuums the area to ensure that he leaves your home as clean or cleaner, than he found it.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Starched White Shirt<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><em>The Mister Sparky Standard<\/em><br \/>\nBecause of Mister Sparky\u2019s commitment to excellent service, we believe in hiring only the most professional and knowledgeable Houston Electricians. This means that in addition to technical excellence, all Mister Sparky electricians must uphold our Starched White Shirt standard for conduct and professionalism.<\/p>\n<p>You can easily recognize a Mister Sparky electrician by his clean-cut, freshly shaven appearance and his signature starched white shirt and gray pants.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The heat of the summer has turned to cold winter days and perhaps you\u2019re thinking that with no air conditioner constantly running, your electric bill may be a few dollars cheaper. But you open your bill each month and that is definitely not the case. So you\u2019re asking, \u201cWhy is my electricity bill higher in&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":7558,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[286],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-electrical-help"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7139"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12890,"href":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7139\/revisions\/12890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mistersparky-houston.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}