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We have consistently for 20 years paid significantly higher electrical costs than our neighbors. We have researched this with the elec. company to no satisfaction of several occasions. Could the fact that we have an older home, although no older than those around us, account for the higher bills?
If your neighbors' houses are the same age as yours then I'm not sure why you think older wiring is the problem? If older wiring was the problem, then everyone ought to have the same problem that you're having. So I'd start looking at what else could be going on. For starters, are your bills higher all year round, or just during particular seasons? If it's a seasonal thing, then I'd look at the efficiency of your furnace or air conditioner, or how weatherproof your house is...do you have enough insulation? double pane windows? Do you keep your thermostat set warmer in winter or cooler in summer than the neighbors? etc. If it's consistent all year round, then I'd look at your habits--do you leave lights on regularly? Do you have a lot of computers or other electronic items that are always plugged in? Even if you power them off, if they're plugged into a powerstrip and you leave it turned on, then some electricity still flows into the computer, tv, etc. Not a lot, but if you have several of those things and they're always using a little bit of electricity it can definitely add up.
Thanks for the info, we are thinking of having an electrician take a look as we don't know much about wiring. It is just Steve and I and we don't leave lights on, we are gone every weekend to our cabin, we both work, the furnace is new, bill is high year round.
"Higher electric bills" are a result of more electricity being used or wasted. In a house with old wiring, here is how that can happen: #1 The old wiring is too light for the load that is presently put on it. Microwaves, ovens, refrigerators, multi-plugs with lamps, chargers, clocks, etc. is much more than the old timers ever imagined. A high load on your wire results in heat loss... the system is trying to push more and more current through a skinny wire and the current "piles up" when it is traveling through (this is called resistance, and it is measured in OHMS)
#2 The old wiring is comprised of aluminum rather than copper. Due to the molecular makeup of aluminum, it naturally has a little more resistance to the flow of electrons (Higher OHM level) and so produces heat that is a cost of electricity
#3 Poor insulator cover around your wire can result in current losses. Stray voltage and minor groundings, too small to trip a breaker, but large enough to use a little current. This can also be a factor.
I still don't understand why your bills would be higher than the neighbors though if everyone has the same old wiring. If they've all had their places rewired and you haven't then that could be the difference, but if they're all on the old wiring too then I think there's probably something else going on. Hopefully the electrician can get to the bottom of things.
That is exactly what Steve said when I read him the post, it made sense to me but then he reminded me that none of the other houses of the same age have that problem and none have been rewired? Wish we knew a reliable electrician to really advise us, will have to ask around.
Check for STRAY VOLTAGE. This is a common problem in wiring situations. Current is being sent through your system to the grounding bar and causes a constant drag on your system. Water pumps and water heaters are areas of high probability, but it can show up just about anywhere. When your electrician arrives, have him test the grounding bar on your main box. He may ask you to turn certain appliances on or off. Also, be sure that your circuitry IS grounded properly.
