Energy bills are already high enough without us donating extra money to the cause. If you’ve noticed your bill is higher than usual and you’ve made no changes to your behaviour or installed any new appliances, you may have a leak.
Faulty wiring or appliances breaking down are common causes where the electricity crosses from the correct wire into the earth wire. This creates a conduit where electricity can flow into the earth – very similar to a water leak, but more expensive and dangerous.
Having a sudden spike in your bill for no reason is the obvious sign that you might have a leak, but there are also other ways to detect them.
If you suspect this is what’s occuring, be sure to contact a licenced electrician. Never attempt to locate or resolve the problem yourself. Some of the ways you can detect a leak and need to call your electrician include:
Shutting off the power
Head to your breaker box and watch the numbered meter inside. You should see this ticking over, as this is the meter your energy company reads to determine your usage and bills.
Now turn your main breaker off in the box, shutting off electricity to your home. This meter should stop when the breaker is turned off. If it’s still running, something is still drawing power and will need to be investigated.
An appliance is warm or gives you a shock
When there is a leak, the device responsible is going to generate heat, which should be fairly noticeable. There is also the chance of getting a mild shock, which could lead to major electrical problems if left unchecked.
Any devices that are hot or warm to the touch, or give you any form of tingle no matter how minor, needs to be unplugged immediately. You can then have the device professionally tested to see if it’s faulty. If it isn’t, you’ll need to contact a licenced electrician to inspect the wiring in your home.
Have you disabled standby mode?
Your appliances draw a small amount of energy when kept in standby mode. In the modern world, we have a lot of technologies in the house that are in standby mode – like televisions, monitors, computers, laptops etc. If every single device is drawing a small amount of power, that can add up to a lot of electricity use.
Have you recently added new appliances to the mix at home? Ensure everything is checked and standby mode is disabled, and you may discover an immediate difference.
Install a smart monitor
The Powerpal Smart Energy Monitor allows you to tap into your electricity system and have a real-time display on your usage on your smart device. This will instantly show you any power spikes, and also help you manage your usage for lower power bills.
Contact us on 1800 EMATTERS and get a quick quote today, or email our friendly team for expert, obligation-free advice.
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