Members may have concerns with electric bills, especially during periods of extremely hot or cold weather. High bills are a direct result of usage. The primary contributor to power usage during the colder months is heating. Heating alone accounts for over 40% on average of power consumption during colder periods. For typical residential homes, the weather and, more specifically, the temperatures are crucial factors for higher bills.
Electric meters are tested and calibrated at the factory before CKEC installs a new meter for a member. It is physically impossible for a meter to turn without an electrical current or energy going through it. Power companies cannot push power through the meter. Power surges that can occur will make virtually no difference in usage. They typically last less than a second. If power is registered on the meter, it is being used somewhere.
Determining the causes of high bills is to find where the current or energy is going. The energy will serve all electrical appliances in the home, but you must determine which ones use the most energy. Appliances may perform precisely how they should but could be running more often than one may think.
There could also be problems with electrical appliances in the home that are causing them to use more energy than they should. This is not to say that there is never a time when something is wrong with CKenergy's meter. However, electric meters in general, are very accurate and reliable. Statistics have estimated that only 0.1% of meters, or 1 out of every 1000, that are tested will have something wrong with them or will be reading inaccurately.
Of the 0.1% that is inaccurate, the majority of those will be reading too slowly instead of too fast. The contributing factors that cause them to read too slowly are worn gears, corrosion, moisture, dust and insects that cause friction in the mechanical meters, causing them to spin slower than they should. In addition, meters can be damaged, and while it is possible this damage could cause them to spin too fast, it is extremely rare.
Items to check and recommendations to assist members with high electric usage includes:
As always, please feel free to call CKEC at 1-405-656-2322 to discuss any concerns you have with your electric bill. We are willing to help and assist in any way possible.