To effectively manage energy consumption and develop plans for cost savings, it is crucial to understand your electric bill. Once you understand your electric bill, you can leverage that information to make changes to electrical consumption and ultimately save money.
Important Sections of an Electric Bill
1. Current Bill Date
The date the bill was issued
2. Next Meter Read Date
The estimated day your energy provider will read your meter
3. Electric Bill Comparison
Breakdown of energy charges and compared with your previous month and year
4. Bill Analysis
Energy usage compared with your previous month and year; includes average daily temperature, average daily electricity use, and number of billing days
5. Energy Use By Month
Graphic representation of energy usage in kWh over the last year by month
6. Highlights From This Month's Billing Period
Account summary and history of changes since the previous bill; includes previous bill balance, payment adjustments, current charges, and total cost of electricity
7. Total Cost of Electricity
Evaluates electricity charges into two main categories: delivery and consumption
Reducing Your Electric Bill
Once you understand the data presented on your bill, you can look into measures to reduce energy consumption.
One way to reduce an energy bill is to avoid peak demand penalties. Peak demand is the highest usage of power within a specified timeframe. To lower peak demand charges, run equipment that requires more energy during off hours. In addition to reducing the peak load, it can be less expensive to run energy-consuming equipment off peak. Also, incorporating demand side management of large equipment and regular monitoring of the building's main power source can help decrease peak demand charges.
Another way to reduce an energy bill is to install a power meter. Power meters allow users to track energy usage, which is useful for optimization. Data trends and real-time readings can reveal inconsistencies, spikes in usage, and potential energy waste.
Setra's Power Meter
All versions of Setra's Power Meter come with data logging capabilities, and in the web portal, users can access powerful data analytics. Multi-load monitoring capabilities make it easy to manage usage at a load level and drive energy savings. Setra's Power Meter is ideal for real-time monitoring in commercial, retail, and industrial spaces.
