Independent home electricity toolsHow we research
Electric Cost LabCalculate cost
Menu
Find electricity tools for your state

Bill comparison tool

Why is my electric bill so high?

Enter the amount due and kWh from two bills. We’ll separate the effect of increased usage from the effect of a higher all-in rate.

Previous bill
$
kWh
days
Current bill
$
kWh
days

What changed

Your bill is 46% higher.

After accounting for billing-period length, the larger signal is daily electricity usage.

Bill change+46.2%
Daily kWh27.3 → 33.8
Billing days30 → 32
Daily usage change+23.5%Total kWh changed +31.7%
All-in price change+11.0%$0.177 → $0.196 per kWh
Approximate dollar decompositionUsage effect: +$46Price effect: +$21

What to check next

  1. Compare average outdoor temperatures across the two billing periods.
  2. Look for longer heating, cooling, water-heater, pool-pump, or EV charging runtime.
  3. Confirm both readings are actual meter readings rather than estimates.

Start with kWh, not just dollars

The amount due can rise even when your habits do not change. Weather can increase heating and cooling runtime, a rate plan may change, or a bill may cover more days. Comparing kilowatt-hours and the all-in price per kWh helps narrow the cause.

Common reasons electricity use increases

  • Heating or air conditioning ran longer because of extreme weather.
  • An electric water heater worked harder or developed a fault.
  • A pool pump, dehumidifier, space heater, or EV charger ran more often.
  • The current bill covers more days than the previous bill.
  • The utility replaced an estimated meter reading with an actual reading.

When to contact your utility

Ask for an explanation if the meter reading looks wrong, the billing period overlaps another bill, the rate plan differs from your agreement, or a new fee is unclear. Keep both bills in front of you and ask which exact line item changed.