How are you going to find out what is making your electric bill go up? It is peak energy consumption time now during the summer and monsoon days. How will you know how much electricity is your air-conditioner eating up?
If your electricity bill is very high and you are paying thrice the amount than what your neighbor is paying, you have to analyze few things. You can begin by using `Kill a Watt’ device that can plug into an electrical outlet to monitor how much electricity an appliance is using. In case, you are not able to pin down the reasons, then the other option left for you is to check your electric meter as you switch off the circuits at the service panel, one circuit at a time.
When you notice a big change in the speed at which the wheel spins (old meters) or the digits change (new meters), you have found your culprit. Sometimes, it is better to do an energy audit. You can invest in home energy monitor. There are many home energy monitors in the market depending on how much time and money you want to spend. Some of these monitors are do-it-yourself installs.
The common do-it-yourself install for most meter types is the Blueline Powercost Monitor. It is a little box which interacts with the meter and monitors the usage in real time. Another good device is TED 5000 which is basically an ammeter that is hooked up to the electrical line coming in to your house. It is more accurate than the Blueline model because of this reason. The only disadvantage is that you have to open the breaker box to install this and that is not an easy thing to do.
If the culprit is your air-conditioner, you will have to think in terms of replacing it with a more energy efficient one.