Step Three of Four :

Time estimate: 10 - 30 minutes

Read your meter
Reading your meter at the same time each day can help you determine how many kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity your home uses in a 24 hour period. Knowing how much energy you use on an average day can help you determine if there are ways you can reduce your usage. Learn how to read your meter. 

Know your water budget
How much water are you using? If you aren't sure how much is the "right" amount based on your household size, creating a water budget can be helpful. The goal of the budget is to estimate an average of how much water would be used per-person and for each 1,000 square feet of your landscape. Then you can compare your water bill to this calculation of the average for both indoor and outdoor needs.

Determine the use and costs of electricity consuming devices
Curious how much energy some of your typical appliances use? Check out this summary and follow the directions to take an inventory of your home. This can help you identify what is contributing to your bill. 

Conduct a simple on/off or circuit breaker test (optional)
If you have an older analog meter with five numbered dials, look for the spinning metal disk in the center of the meter. If you have a newer digital meter, look for the black dashes or boxes on the screen. The speed of movement of either the metal disk or black dashes/boxes indicates the rate of electricity being consumed. By turning things on or off at the appliance or circuit breaker, you can see if your meter speeds up or down, or if there is minimal impact.

Download PDF version of the Bill Self-Assessment.