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A home kitchen counter in soft daylight with a small plain white plug-in energy meter with a blank dark screen plugged into a wall outlet beside a stainless refrigerator, the refrigerator's kick plate at the bottom visibly furred with dust.

Appliance
Energy Use Creeping Up With Nothing Else Changed

Appliance energy use creeping up is a power or gas bill that rises month after month with no new appliance and no change in how the house is used.

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Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • 5 checks before you book
  • 5 questions that narrow it
  • 6 causes, cheapest first

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What it
usually means.

The appliances that run longest use most of the energy: cold storage units running all year, and the laundry pair, dishwasher and cooking appliances on their busy days. When upkeep slips, each of them keeps working but takes longer to do the same job, and the difference shows up slowly on the bill rather than as a breakdown. A condenser coil matted with dust makes the compressor run on; a leaking door seal lets warm air in all day; a lint path half blocked makes every drying cycle longer; a hood with clogged filters runs longer and on higher speeds; a heater crusted with scale takes longer to heat the water; a garage freezer next to a water heater or in summer heat works hardest of all. A second refrigerator in a hot garage or an old freezer that is barely used can also add more than its owner expects. Tracking which appliance is responsible is easier than it sounds: a plug-in meter on a cold storage unit, a timer on a drying cycle, or the utility's hourly data if it is available. Upkeep usually brings most of it back down. If one appliance keeps using far more than it should after it has been cleaned and sealed, a part may be failing; that is a repair for the sister repair site for that appliance.

A technician in a plain navy work shirt seen from behind and shoulders down, standing in a bright home kitchen with a plain clipboard in one hand, looking toward a stainless built-in refrigerator and a wall of cabinetry with a built-in oven, a small closed tool bag on the floor beside him, calm morning light. The 6 causes, cheapest first

Answer these first

01

Did the rise start at a clear point, such as a new season, a move or a new appliance?
02

Is it the power bill, the gas bill or both?
03

Is there an extra refrigerator or freezer in the garage or basement?
04

Have drying cycles, dish cycles or cold storage running times grown longer?
05

When were the coils, the lint path and the hood filters last cleaned?

Check these
before you book.

Appliance energy use creeping up: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything.

01

Compare the usage figures on your bills for the same months last year, not just the amounts.

02

Put a plug-in energy meter on a cold storage unit for a few days and note the daily use.

03

Time a normal drying load and compare it with what it used to take.

Also worth checking

  • Look at the condenser coils and the lint screen housing for dust and lint.
  • Close each cold storage door on a strip of paper to check the seals.

How soon does it need a visit?

Rising energy use is not urgent, but it costs money every day. Book a whole-home maintenance visit at a convenient time, with any readings you have taken, so the appliance responsible can be found.

The causes,
cheapest first.

6 things appliance energy use creeping up with nothing else changed turns out to be, from weather, rates or a change at home to a part drawing more than it should.

The cost guide
  1. 01 no service

    Weather, rates or a change at home

    A hot summer, a new rate or more people at home can raise a bill with no appliance to blame. Compare the same months across years and the usage figures, not only the amount.

    No service: check it yourself
  2. 02 no service

    A second unit in a hot garage

    An old refrigerator or freezer in a hot garage can use more than the one in the kitchen. Consider whether it is needed, and give it clearance and shade from direct heat.

    No service: check it yourself
  3. 03 lowest

    Coils matted with dust

    Dirty condensers make every cold storage unit in the house run longer. The coils and fans are cleaned with the units off.

    Fixed by condenser coil cleaning On a cold storage unit
  4. 04 low to moderate

    Seals leaking and doors not closing

    A flattened gasket or a cabinet out of level lets warm air in around the clock. Seals are checked on paper, cleaned, reseated or replaced, and cabinets leveled.

    Fixed by door seal check and replacement On a cold storage unit
  5. 05 low to moderate

    Drying cycles stretched by lint

    A half-blocked exhaust run can make every load take much longer to dry. The whole lint path is cleaned and a crushed duct replaced.

    Fixed by lint path and exhaust vent cleaning On a laundry machine
  6. 06 varies

    A part drawing more than it should

    A compressor or a heater that is wearing out can use more energy while still working. If a clean, sealed appliance keeps drawing far more than it should, it is a repair for the sister repair site.

    Book a diagnostic visit

The makes
it happens on.

35 makes on this site; appliance energy use creeping up with nothing else changed can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page.

All 35 brands

Appliance Energy Use Creeping Up With Nothing Else Changed,
where we come out.

9 metros, each with its own page.

All service areas

Tampa BayFL · 31 areas

OrlandoFL · 30 areas

Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas

New York MetroNY · 75 areas

HoustonTX · 36 areas

ChicagoIL · 50 areas

Los AngelesCA · 95 areas

San DiegoCA · 31 areas

San Francisco Bay AreaCA · 74 areas

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Questions about
appliance energy use creeping up with nothing else changed.

Which appliances usually use the most energy at home?
Cold storage units, because they run all year, and heat-making appliances such as the laundry pair, ovens and water heating in the dishwasher. An old second refrigerator or freezer can be a large share on its own.
Is a plug-in energy meter accurate enough to be useful?
For comparing one appliance over a few days, yes. It shows daily use and how often the compressor runs. Built-in and hardwired appliances cannot use one, and the utility's hourly data can help there.
Does upkeep really lower the bill?
It removes the extra running that dirty coils, weak seals and blocked exhaust cause. How much it saves depends on how neglected each appliance was.
When is replacing an old second freezer worth it?
When it runs most of the time, sits mostly empty, or is very old. The log from a maintenance visit shows how it compares, and the choice is yours.

Back to your everyday

Still seeing appliance energy use creeping up with nothing else changed?

Book with what you checked above — 5 answers save the technician the first part of the visit.

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(844) 879-5178 Schedule maintenance