My energy consumption increased from 6.7kw per day in December to 37.7 this month. The only thing that is different is I switched out my Direct TV box for Dish network. Nothing else has changed. To put this in perspective, the highest my usage has ever been in this 2 year old house is 27 kw per day in the hottest Louisiana month. The energy company said the meter reading is accurate after a reread. I turned off the main and the meter stopped. Tested each circuit and some showed energy use even though all lights were off and nothing was plugged in, especially GFCI. DIY electric is absolutely outside of my abilities; is the next step to call an electrician to help troubleshoot? I'm a noob so thank you for your help!
500% Increase in Energy Use
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That increase is about 1.3kw per hour with those numbers. Have you checked all your major applications including one's that may not be in plain sight (especially something like the well pump)? Something like a water leak somewhere and the pump constantly running can make an enormous energy leak.
Yup, no water pumps here. Gas furnace and appliances. And my neighbors don't seem to be growing anything 
. Really at a loss. Energy company recognizes that there is a problem but all they can do is come out and test the meter. I'm trying to figure out what I can do in the meantime now.
. Really at a loss. Energy company recognizes that there is a problem but all they can do is come out and test the meter. I'm trying to figure out what I can do in the meantime now.
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If you checked all the items you can, see what next months bill is, if it goes way down, I would challenge the electric companies bill, if it stays way up, get a new meter from the electric company..and see if that changes anything, if still not get an electrician to see if maybe someone tapped into your power...or something is draining it....do you have an electric dryer or water heater?
Haha. That was my next suggestion, your neighbors ;-)
On a serious note, one would probably ASSUME the issue is on a single circuit. Do you have a digital or analog electrical meter? If it's analog, count the # of seconds the disc takes to complete one full spin (there should be a black indicator on the disc). Then one by one, turn off one circuit and count again. Do this for the remaining circuits so you can isolate which circuit is causing the draw.
With a leak that high, it would be obvious when the # of revolutions drastically drops on a single circuit. Figure out which one is causing the most (because even your refrigerator shouldn't even be drawing that much).
Try that and let us know if you can isolate a particular circuit.
On a serious note, one would probably ASSUME the issue is on a single circuit. Do you have a digital or analog electrical meter? If it's analog, count the # of seconds the disc takes to complete one full spin (there should be a black indicator on the disc). Then one by one, turn off one circuit and count again. Do this for the remaining circuits so you can isolate which circuit is causing the draw.
With a leak that high, it would be obvious when the # of revolutions drastically drops on a single circuit. Figure out which one is causing the most (because even your refrigerator shouldn't even be drawing that much).
Try that and let us know if you can isolate a particular circuit.
Good suggestion. Without knowing any better, I turned them all off and checked the meter each time I turned one back on. There was no obvious fast spinning on any particular one but it would definitely be easier with a meter or someone to help and stand by the meter so I don't have to walk around the house 22 times. I will get a meter and let you all know what I find out. Thank you!
One other suggestion instead of waiting until next months electric bill:
Take a meter reading twice a day and calculate the difference between the two readings. You should know fairly quickly if the problem just disappeared or if its happening at a specific time of day (which I highly doubt its a time of day at that much excess but who knows).
Take a meter reading twice a day and calculate the difference between the two readings. You should know fairly quickly if the problem just disappeared or if its happening at a specific time of day (which I highly doubt its a time of day at that much excess but who knows).
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when the coil in electric dryers goes bad, its almost like a filament in a light bulb that goes super bright..its sucks down power, I dont know about that much of an increase..but worth checking out....you can run the dryer and see how much faster the meter is running...
Wild guess, but do they read your meter each month or estimate one month and read the next. A low estimate will be followed by what looks like a high reading. If one was estimated it is usually indicated somewhere on the bill.
If your unusual load is switching on and off you might not see it during a test. The above suggestions to test individual appliances or to take daily readings may help.
Any heat tapes, Ice tapes on the roof, electric heaters?
Bud
If your unusual load is switching on and off you might not see it during a test. The above suggestions to test individual appliances or to take daily readings may help.
Any heat tapes, Ice tapes on the roof, electric heaters?
Bud
Tizzer, they read here each month. My bills have been consistent and normal in comparison...until now. In fact, ALL of my utilities have never exceeded $140 a month, so that should tell you why I am concerned about a $99 electric bill when the previous month was only $23. I'm sort of obsessive about not wanting to send my cash to the utility companies.
Bud, not sure what electric or ice tapes are but I'm glad I live in Louisiana if I can avoid them. No, the only electric appliances I use are the washer, dryer, dishwasher, and microwave. Everything else is gas. Couple of clock radios, one tv, and a satellite receiver box. Follow the golden rule to turn off lights when I am not in the room. I will be taking twice daily readings now to see if I can spot a pattern and will probably end up calling an electrician. This is very strange indeed.
Bud, not sure what electric or ice tapes are but I'm glad I live in Louisiana if I can avoid them
. No, the only electric appliances I use are the washer, dryer, dishwasher, and microwave. Everything else is gas. Couple of clock radios, one tv, and a satellite receiver box. Follow the golden rule to turn off lights when I am not in the room. I will be taking twice daily readings now to see if I can spot a pattern and will probably end up calling an electrician. This is very strange indeed.
Not a one. One motion sensor light at the front and back doors, that is all. These rarely go off and have been there for two plus years.
Anything that generates heat I guess. In my house that would be the dryer used about once a week. The dishwasher is on the light, no heated dry cycle, again used once a week.
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They reread the meter did they test the meter? Remove the meter and verify calibration, with a calibrated test set.
Not yet, but I requested it. The supervisor told me today that they wanted someone to come out and read it yet again even though I sent photographs of the meter. Unfortunately I am getting a lot of resistance but I don't plan to back down on this one.
I see. I think it normal because you use only these once a week. Is your electrical wire are properly connected? It might be grounded and can cause of high usage of electricity.
With water heaters and individual circuit faults ruled out, the next most likely culprit is your HVAC system. Do you have electric heat? Air conditioning? Heat pump? Several types of failures in an HVAC system can cause sudden extreme energy use. Unless you have only a gas furnace and no AC, describe the system in as much detail as you can.
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