The arrival of the utility bill is how most people learn how much energy their home used during the month. Isn't it odd that most will not tolerate such a cavalier approach to buying energy for their cars. So why is it such a common occurrence with home energy use? Imagine a gas station with covers over the pumps concealing the cost per gallon and the number of gallons pumped. No one would buy gas there, right? Now, take the analogy one step further and imagine customers using this station regularly and telling the attendant to just send them a bill at the end of the month for however much energy they used. With our cars, we wouldn't consider being so trusting and careless, but most of us do just this every month with our homes.

Responsible energy use requires one knowing the cost per unit of the various energy sources, how many units are used and what the total cost is likely to be before the bill arrives. You can learn more about your energy consumption, prior to getting your bill, by taking readings from your meter.

If you don't already know how to read your meter, refer to . . .