High Bill Analysis
Where is all the electricity going?
Why are my electric bills so large?!
Your electric meter calculates how much energy your household uses. Every month Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative reads your meter and your electric bill is calculated based on the kilowatt-hours used during the month.
The amount of electric used can vary from house to house and can be determined by a number of variables. These variables can include such things as: How many appliances?; How old are the appliances?; How many in the household?; Do those in the household conserve energy?; How energy efficient is your building? Etc.
What to do if you think your bill is too high?
- Take a meter reading.
Is the reading lower today than the reading on the bill?
If so, contact the Co-op for a bill correction.
If the reading is correct, try the following steps.
- Take inventory of everything electric in your house (seen & unseen);
- Observe if any of these items are running more than normal
If you can't determine if an appliance is using excess energy try the next step.
- Turn the main breaker off. Is the meter wheel still turning or does it stop?
If the wheel continues to turn, (after completing the revolution it was on when you turned it off) and you have underground lines running from your meter to another building, you may have an underground fault.
— Contact your electrician.
If the wheel stops proceed with the following steps.
- Turn the main breaker back on.
- Turn one circuit breaker (in the panel box) off at a time.
- Observe how it affects the speed of the wheel on the meter.
- If you notice a drastic change in speed, then take inventory of everything connected to that circuit breaker. You may discover what is using all the energy.
Still cannot determine what is using the power after conducting these self-tests?
Please contact the Member Services Department during regular business hours to schedule a high bill analysis. (M-F 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.)
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