I recently bought a home and now have 2 months of energy bills to look at. On the bright side, I did see a decent decrease from month 1 to 2 after being more proactive with my energy habits (many of which were gleaned from various energy threads on MMM), but I'm not satisfied with an $80 electric bill... Both bills are much higher than expected, since I consider myself a relatively light energy user...
Month 1: $97 (average outside temperature of 41 degrees; used 887 kWh in 28 days, or 32 kWh per day)
Month 2: $81 (average temperature of 41 degrees; used 725 kWh in 29 days, or 25 kWh per day)
*For an apples to apples comparison, I included only the cost of electricity. All taxes, service charges, and "energy conservation" credits have been removed from the 2 months of totals above.
Some facts about the house and energy usage:
-I live alone in a 1300 square foot single story house.
-It uses electric for everything (oven range, water, heat, etc.).
-It has a heat pump. During month 1, I kept it set at 63 degrees. During month 2, I kept it at 58-60 degrees (brrr!). I make sure the aux heat doesn't come on.
-The water heater is a half tank set at 120 degrees. I take 10 minute showers everyday.
-I run the washer, dryer, and dishwasher 1 time each per week.
-It has been insulated below the floors and in the attic.
-I created an insulated hatch cover so that heat wouldn't escape as easily through my attic stairs access.
-Most of the doors have storm doors.
-Windows are new and all have blinds (open in day for sun, close at night).
-I have added additional weatherstripping to the doors.
-I keep very few items plugged in (2 lamps, an alarm clock, an LED TV, a Roku, a microwave, and other appliances; everything else is unplugged when not in use).
-All lights are LED or CFL.
Any obvious, or not so obvious, energy usage culprits I have overlooked? Any tips to continue reducing usage? Or should I just chalk it up to my area (NC) having a cold winter the last couple of months? I know a heat pump is not ideal for cold temperatures and has been doing quite a bit of work even to keep my house a balmy 60 degrees... Should I perhaps call my energy company and ask them to check the meter or ask what I'm doing wrong?