Every month a new gas utility bill shows up at your home, awaiting your prompt payment. The same goes with the electric bill. If you’re in the habit of paying these bills without looking at anything other than the amount owed, you may be paying more than you need to. Looking at each utility bill closely is important if you’re interested in locating some smart energy savings.
For electricity, your bill will show your energy usage in kilowatts. This type of bill is pretty straightforward, but you s
hould still keep an eye on how many kilowatts you use each month. If there’s a significant spike, look at your daily habits and see if you can pinpoint where the extra usage is coming from.
Your gas bill generally will charge you based on your expected usage each month. If you exceed this, you’ll have an additional charge from the previous month. If you used less than anticipated, you may have a credit. Some additional terminology includes:
- BTU – This stands for British Thermal Unit and is a simple, universal way to measure gas usage.
- Therm – Also abbreviated as “thm,” this stands for thermal unit. One therm is 100,000 BTUs.
- CCF – This is a measurement of volume. One CCF is 100 cubic feet of gas.
- MCF – One MCF equals 1,000 cubic feet of gas, or 10 CCFs
If you’re interested in lowering your utility bills, consider making some home improvements. An energy-efficient furnace can make a big difference with both gas and electric utility costs. Sealing and insulating your home will keep it comfortable in both summer and winter by keeping air from getting in and out (depending on the season).
If major improvements aren’t in your budget just yet, consider smaller changes such as keeping the home slightly cooler or warmer, so you need less heating and cooling. You may even be able to save on your utility bill by tracking down extra charges related to paper statements versus online statements.
For additional expert advice about cost-efficient home heating and cooling, please contact us at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning. We’ve been serving the Twin Cities area since 1974.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy savings and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock