YOU have complete control of how you use YOUR electricity. The way you live and the way you use your electrical appliances have a greater impact on your consumption of electricity than the number of appliances you have.

Family Size

There is a direct relationship between the number of people living at home and the amount of energy used. That's especially true if you have teenagers at home. If friends and relatives are visiting, expect to use more energy for cooking, laundry, and hot water.

Water Heating

About 12.6% of energy used in the average American home is for water heating. When taking baths, use water sparingly, don't fill the tub completely full. Take shorter showers, repair leaky faucets, and operate automatic dishwashers and washing machines with a full load.

Appliance Use

Wise use of electric applicances can have a positive effect on energy consumption. Turn off lights when no one is in the room. Shut the television off if no one is watching. Turn the oven off instead of keeping it set at warm. Cook several dishes at once then shut the oven off.

Why is my bill higher than my neighbor's?

It's YOUR electric bill and reflects the amount of electricity consumed by your family in your home. Your neighbor may have a completely different set of circumstances...differeent amount of people in the home, different lifestyle, different size of home.

Energy Use Guide Appliance	Monthly Kilowatt hours
Air Conditioner (Central)	1 KWH/Hour 2.5-3.5 KWH/Hour
Car engine heater	1 KWH/hour
Clothes Dryer	5 KWH/hour
Coffee Maker	8
Dishwasher	30-48
Freezer (frost free)	150-240
Hair Dryer	3
Humidifier	20
Lighting (varies widely)	75-150
Microwave	16
Refrigerator (frost free)	225-275
Television (4 hours per day)	30-40
Water Heater (standard)	400
Waterbed heater	100
Water Pump	40