No one likes getting their electricity & heating bill for the month. Whether it arrives in your inbox, via an app, or in the post, it rarely seems to bring good news!
But the bill itself can give you a bit of insight into your home habits – as well as how they might be costing you more than you realise. As such, here’s the kind of information you should be on the lookout for when checking your home bills for the month.
You’re Changing the Thermostat Too Often
The perfect home temperature is a hotly debated subject. But whether you like to keep your home at a comfortable 68 degrees or a toasty 75, one thing is still important: keep the temperature at that one level!
The temperature outside might tempt you to turn the thermostat up or down, but this can increase your heating costs tenfold. Even if you’re turning the heat down for the summer, the moment you want to turn the heat back up again, your bill is going to shoot up as well.
And we’ve all been given whiplash by monthly heating bills that have gone from one extreme to another! Keeping the thermostat at the same temperature all year round will help to prevent these wild swings, and you won’t go from a cheap bill to an astronomical one.
You’re Paying Too Much
When it comes to costs like ongoing bills, we all have moments where we think we’re being overcharged. However, it’s difficult to say whether or not your energy provider is overcharging you, as when you shop around for new deals, they’re all pretty costly anyway!
But if you’re paying out large amounts, despite little fluctuation in the amount of energy you use per month, it could be a sign that your billing set up isn’t fit for purpose.
So, maybe it’s time to start making your own energy? Or at least some of it – a new report examining the state of solar in 2025 revealed that two thirds of homeowners are turning to solar to beat price hikes.
And this could be the best choice for you too. Making some of your own energy reduces the overall amount you can be charged for energy consumption by someone else. Plus, there’s also some extra pennies to be made here, as you could sell excess energy back to the grid.
Something’s Sucking Up Your Energy
It could be the appliances in your kitchen. It could be the lights you accidentally leave on when you’re not in the room. It could be the poorly sealed windows that let air leak out whenever you turn the heating on. It could even be all three!
Either way, something in your home is sucking up more than its fair share of the electricity and heating. Finding out where the black hole exists should be your next step.
Always give your electricity and heating bill a proper read through. There’s a lot to learn on there!
