But if you’ve covered the basics and your bills still seem too high, it’s time to dig deeper. Sometimes the reasons behind an unusually large utility bill aren’t obvious at all, and have nothing to do with your behaviors or usage patterns. Here are six unexpected—but not entirely unlikely—causes for a higher bill.
That doesn’t mean you need to replace your appliances every other year, but just because they're still working doesn’t mean they’re doing so efficiently. If your utility bills are getting fatter, consider the “useful” life of those appliances—as they get older, they will pull more energy to get the same job done.
Dishwashers: About 10 years.
Dryers: About 13 years.
Ovens, Ranges, and Stoves: Gas models can operate efficiently for as long as 15 years, but electric models have a slightly shorter lifespan, about 13 years.
Inefficient interior design choices
The layout and design choices in your house can have a big impact on your utility bills, because they can make it harder to heat and cool your home. Even if you set your thermostat to a reasonable temperature and schedule, if your furnace, boiler, or air conditioning system has to work overtime to maintain those temps, your utility bills will skyrocket.
Exposed beams. Those rustic beams exposed can add a lot of charm to your space—but also add heating and cooling costs. Exposing beams means there’s no insulation up there, so heat and cold will just transfer through your roof, and your utility bill will rise.
Layout. If you’ve got furniture blocking heat sources or HVAC vents, you’re making your system work twice as hard to heat and cool your home. Similarly, long window treatments that cover radiators can drive up your bills. Opening up your layout as much as possible by removing ‘breaks’ like bookshelves or tall furniture can help cool and warm air to flow freely, making it easier for your systems to control the climate.
When you install a new water heater, chances are good the default temperature set by the manufacturer is 140ºF. This is pretty hot—hot enough for the water to cause serious burns with just a few seconds of exposure. From an energy perspective, it’s just not an efficient setting, as much of that heat gets lost, forcing your water heater to work harder. You probably won’t notice much difference if you turn it down to 120ºF. This isn’t just a safer bet, it can also save you as much as 22% off your utility bills.
Defective wiring
Another possible reason your utility bills are so high? Someone might be stealing from you. Water, electricity, and even your internet service can be diverted and split, leaving you to subsidize someone else’s usage. A few tell-tale signs are extension cords plugged into exterior outlets, mysterious digging around your property, and rogue hoses attached to your exterior spigots.
Cryptocurrency mining
No, really: Depending on where you live, cryptocurrency companies might be driving your utility bills higher. Cryptocurrency mining requires a lot of energy, and many crypto companies have made sweetheart deals with local utilities to get discounted electricity rates—with the costs sometimes passed on to regular consumers. In Texas, for example, residential consumers saw their electric bills rise by almost 5% because of subsidized rates for local crypto enterprises, and there are similar scenarios in New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arkansas.
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