Energy bills often increase over winter as households have increased costs in keeping warm. However, there...

Energy bills often increase over winter as households have increased costs in keeping warm. Your bill may be higher than expected for a few different reasons – let's look into these.

Sometimes these estimates may not reflect your usage which causes a catch up bill on your next accurate reading. You can <a href="http://~/for-home/services/submit-a-meter-read">submit your own meter reading</a> any time this occurs so that we bill you accurately every month.

Is the billing period on your bill longer than a 30 day period?

If you have a bill for a 45 day period, you would have 1 and a half months usage and daily line charges billed.&nbsp;

There are a few reasons why your bill may cover a longer period than usual. You can learn more about billing periods and the different components that make up your energy bill <a href="http://~/help/faqs/understanding-my-bill-for-my-home">here</a>.

With Control-a-bill you can even out your payments so you pay the same amount for each bill on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis.&nbsp;

Learn more about Control-a-bill and see how you can set it up <a href="http://~/help/faqs/control-a-bill">here</a>.

Know your household appliance running costs

A cold snap will likely change how you use some of your appliances, so it's helpful to be aware of which ones have higher running costs to avoid higher energy bills.

According to the <a href="https://www.eeca.govt.nz/insights/data-tools/energy-end-use-database">EECA's Energy End Use Database</a>, water heating can account for approximately 27% of energy usage in New Zealand households. Did you know that a 15-minute shower costs around $1? Reducing your shower time could make a big difference to your power bill.

Depending on what sort of heating systems you have, heating your home can account for around 23% of your winter energy bill. <a href="https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/appliance-running-costs#article-heating">Consumer NZ</a> can help you see how much your home heating might be costing you during winter. If you have a heat pump, make sure you're using it in the <a href="http://~/tips-and-tricks/articles/use-your-heat-pump-efficiently-this-winter">most efficient way</a> during winter.&nbsp;

As we use our tumble dryers so much more frequently in winter, they are an important part of our winter energy spend. Did you know that each dryer load can cost&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/appliance-running-costs#article-laundry">50c or more</a>?

For tips on how to save power in every room in the house, check out our <a href="http://~/tips-and-tricks/articles/20-simple-energy-saving-habits">energy saving habits guide</a>.

If you're a Genesis customer, you can keep track of your usage in <a href="http://~/for-home/services/manage-your-account-online">Energy IQ</a>.&nbsp;

If you have a communicating smart meter,&nbsp;you only pay for the exact amount of electricity you use each month because it eliminates ‘estimated' bills. This means there's less chance of a surprise in your monthly bill.

If you have a standard meter you can take a meter reading several times a day to investigate patterns in usage versus appliances you were using.

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