Savings guides
Answers to the questions your bill raises
Each guide answers one question near the top, shows a worked example, says what it assumes and links the primary sources. When the evidence changes, we update the guide and its date.
Updated November 1, 2026 · Edited by Carlos Gil, publisher
Short answer
- These guides answer the questions an electric bill raises: why it's high, why it changed, how to read each line, and whether an upgrade is worth it.
- Each one answers its question near the top, shows a worked example and links its sources.
Start here: reading paths by situation
Pick the situation closest to yours and read in order. Each path ends with a tool that uses your own numbers.
My bill went up and I don't know why
Start by separating usage from price and billing days, then check whether the amount due includes anything that isn't this month's electricity.
My bill always seems high
Work out your price per kWh and daily use first; those two numbers decide which of the other guides matters.
I rent
Focus on what a tenant controls, and put numbers on plug-in loads before buying anything.
I'm thinking about an upgrade or a new rate
Know what you spend now and what the change would save at your own price before you compare quotes or rate plans.
Understand your bill
- Why is my electric bill so high?Usage, price, billing days or fixed charges: which one is driving your bill?
Walks through the four things that make a bill high: more kWh, a higher price per kWh, more billing days, and fixed charges, taxes and fees. It shows how to turn a bill into an all-in price and kWh per day, how FPL's and JEA's higher price above 1,000 kWh raises the cost of a hot month, and how the two utilities compare at the same usage before taxes.
Updated November 1, 2026
- Why did my electric bill double when my usage stayed the same?Your kWh barely changed but the amount due doubled. Where did the money come from?
For the bill that jumps while kWh barely moves. It separates this period's electric charges from the amount due, which can carry a past balance, water and sewer, deposits, late fees or a Budget Billing settle-up, and shows that price alone would have to roughly double to double a bill. Includes JEA's fuel rate from September to November 2026 and a worked split that adds up to the cent.
Updated November 1, 2026
- How to read an electric bill: usage, rates, fees and creditsWhat does each line on an electric bill mean, and which ones are this month's electricity?
A line-by-line tour of six things on every bill: service period, kWh, charges priced per kWh, the fixed monthly charge, taxes and fees, and credits. It reconciles FPL's own typical 1,000 kWh bill for October 2026 ($136.64) and builds the same lines for a JEA bill, so you can find the price of each kWh you use or save.
Updated November 1, 2026
- How billing days affect your electric billWhy a longer billing period raises the bill, and how to compare bills fairly.
Explains why a 34-day bill shows more kWh than a 28-day bill even when nothing changed at home, and how dividing by billing days makes two bills comparable. It covers how a long period can push more kWh above 1,000 on tiered rates, and gives a step-by-step check you can run on any two bills.
Updated November 1, 2026
- Time-of-use electricity rates, explained with a worked exampleWould a time-of-use rate cost you more or less than a flat rate?
Defines time-of-use, dynamic and demand pricing using the U.S. Department of Energy's descriptions, then works through an invented rate to find the on-peak share at which time-of-use beats a flat rate. It explains why a monthly bill can't show your on-peak share and what to ask before switching.
Updated November 1, 2026
Use less
- How to lower an apartment electric bill as a renterWhat can you change when you don't own the equipment?
For renters: what you usually control (settings, habits, plug-in devices) and what belongs to the owner (the air conditioner, water heater and building). It covers measuring before buying, putting a number on space heaters, what to raise with a landlord in writing, and the questions to ask before signing a lease.
Updated November 1, 2026
Decide on an upgrade
- Is a smart thermostat worth it for your home?Will it pay for itself in your home, and how fast?
Uses ENERGY STAR's average for certified models (about 8% of heating and cooling bills, with its conditions) and DOE's setback guidance, including the heat-pump caveat, to show when a smart thermostat pays off and when it probably won't. A payback table shows how much the answer depends on the savings estimate, with JEA's $50 rebate included.
Updated November 1, 2026
- Home energy audits: what online tools can and can't tell youWhen is an online check enough, and when do you need someone in the house?
Sorts what each kind of check can establish: one bill, twelve months of bills in ENERGY STAR's Home Energy Yardstick, your utility's free tools (JEA's walk-through assessment and FPL's online Energy Survey), and a paid in-home audit with diagnostic equipment. It explains how to prepare and how to turn recommendations into decisions.
Updated November 1, 2026
How the guides are sourced and kept current
Every factual claim in a guide links to a primary source: a utility's own rate sheet or program page, the Florida Public Service Commission, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy, ENERGY STAR, the IRS or Florida statutes. Each source is listed at the end of the guide with the date we read it. Worked examples use invented round numbers, are labelled as illustrative, and show their arithmetic so you can repeat it with your own bill.
The figures that change most often have their own re-check schedule:
- Utility rates. FPL publishes a residential rate sheet each month, and JEA resets its fuel rate monthly (it was $42.82, $43.26 and $49.75 per 1,000 kWh in September, October and November 2026). Guides that quote a rate say which month it applies to.
- Statewide averages. EIA's monthly price table is preliminary when first released; the August 2026 figures came out on October 23, 2026, and the next release is scheduled for November 24, 2026.
- Programs and credits. Rebate terms are re-checked at least every 90 days, and programs that end stay listed as ended so nobody relies on old advice. The federal 25C and 25D credits, for example, now show as ended for work installed after 2025.
A guide's "Updated" date changes only when its content changes. Carlos Gil, the publisher, is the editor responsible for what is published; no licensed engineer or certified energy auditor has reviewed the guides yet, and each one says so. See the editorial policy and methodology.
Using a guide with your own bill
- Gather three numbers from your latest bill: kWh used, the number of service days, and this period's electric charges before any past balance or other services.
- If you can, find the same bill from a year ago, or your utility's usage history, so you compare like seasons.
- Open the guide that matches your question and follow its worked example, swapping in your own numbers at each step.
- Check the result in the matching calculator, which does the same arithmetic and shows its formula.
- Before you act on a program or a rate, open the source linked at the end of the guide and confirm the terms haven't changed.
What the guides don't do
- No instructions for hazardous work. Where safety matters, the guides quote official safety guidance and point to licensed professionals for electrical, gas or other hazardous work.
- No appliance breakdown from one bill. A monthly total can't show which appliance used the electricity; the calculators estimate one appliance at a time instead.
- No tax advice. The guides report what the IRS and Florida statutes say, with dates. Your own return is a question for a tax professional.
- No rates we haven't verified. Worked examples with real tariffs use FPL and JEA only. For other Florida utilities, we've verified only their totals in the Public Service Commission's 1,000 kWh comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes these guides?
The Energy Savings AI editorial desk, with AI assistance for research and drafting, edited by Carlos Gil, the publisher. Every claim is checked against the primary source it cites before publishing.
Have the guides been reviewed by an engineer?
Not yet, and each guide says so in its byline. When a qualified reviewer checks a page, we'll name them and their credentials on it.
How often are the guides updated?
When a cited source changes, such as a new rate sheet or program rule. The update date changes only for substantive changes, not for typo fixes or design changes.
Are the examples from real bills?
No. Worked examples use invented numbers and are labelled as illustrative, so you can follow the arithmetic and repeat it with your own bill.
Primary sources the guides rely on
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (released Oct 23, 2026) · checked October 31, 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price, Table 5.a (2024 data, released Oct 7, 2025) · checked October 31, 2026
- U.S. Department of Energy · checked October 31, 2026
- ENERGY STAR smart thermostat FAQ · checked October 31, 2026
- FPL residential rates, October 2026 (PDF) · checked October 31, 2026
- JEA rates, including Electric Rates Definitions · checked October 31, 2026
- Florida PSC, residential bill comparison for 1,000 kWh, effective October 1, 2026 (PDF) · checked October 31, 2026
- IRS FS-2025-05: changes to sections 25C and 25D under Public Law 119-21 · checked October 31, 2026