Why is my power bill so high this month?

If you’ve opened your power bill and got a shock how high it is, you first need to make sure it’s correct. Then take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again next month. Here’s what to do.

1. Understand your bill 

Take a good look at your bill to see if the higher charge is due to power you’ve used or other charges. It might be that it includes an unpaid amount from an earlier bill or a fee for paying it late. It may also include disconnection or reconnection fees.  

Your bill could be an estimate based on your past power usage. If so, do your own meter reading and see if your power company will reissue your bill using the actual reading.  

It could also be that your previous bills were based on estimates, which were lower than the power you actually used. If this bill follows an actual reading, you could be catching up and paying for power you’ve used but not yet paid for over previous months.  

There’s also a chance your meter isn’t working correctly or has been read wrong.  

2. Look at your power usage 

There are many factors that could be responsible for your household using more power over the last month. Here are some to consider. 

• You’re heating or cooling your home more because of a change in the weather. 

• You’ve got more people using your home. Did you have visitors staying? Is there a new baby?  

• You’re spending more time at home. Perhaps you’ve started working from home or retired.  

• You’ve added something to your home, like a power-hungry appliance, spa or swimming pool. 

• You’ve got a faulty appliance, such as a leaking water heater or an old fridge out in the shed that’s started playing up. An electrician can check your appliances to see if they could be causing your high bills. 

3. Ask you power company why your power bill is so high 

If you’ve looked at your bill to try and understand the high charge, but can’t see anything obvious, and there haven’t been any changes in your household to explain the higher usage, contact your power company. 

You could ask them: 

• to explain why the power bill is higher than other months 

• if you‘re on the best power plan for how you use power 

• if there are other ways you could be paying that might make it easier to pay your power bill on time. Some companies will deduct a regular weekly or fortnightly payment, so payments are evened out and you don’t face such a big bill each month.  

4. Reduce how much power you’re using

If your high power bill is down to how much power you’re using, check out these articles on how to use less.  

• How to use your appliances to save money 

• Power-saving tips for renters 

• How to spend less on hot water 

• How to spend less on heating

5. Switch to a cheaper power plan 

All power is the same, so you might as well be paying as little as you can for it. Powerswitch can help you check you’re on the cheapest power plan for you. Those who use it, save an average of $400 a year.  

6. Complain to Utilities Disputes 

Utilities Disputes is a free service that can help if you have a problem with your power company. For more info about the process, check out our article on how to complain.