Is your electricity use high? Start with a fair comparison.
A national average is useful context. It cannot tell you whether a specific home is efficient without knowing what electricity does in that home.
Compare daily use, similar seasons and similar energy services before judging the number.
Electricity does different jobs
A home with gas space heating and hot water is not directly comparable to an all-electric home with an EV. Compare total energy services before assuming a larger electricity bill indicates a worse building. Electricity can replace spending on another fuel.
Purchases are not always consumption
EIA distinguishes electricity purchased from utilities from household electricity use that may also include on-site solar. A solar home can buy less from the grid while still using substantial electricity. Be precise about which number your comparison uses.
Choose the closest baseline
Your own home in a similar season is often a useful first comparison. Divide kWh by billing days, then note weather, occupants, new equipment and time spent at home. A bill analyzer can surface differences; it cannot identify every cause from a single statement.
Turn a difference into a measurement
Suppose daily use rises from 20 to 28 kWh. The extra 8 kWh a day is the question to investigate. An added device averaging 1 kW for eight hours could explain it mathematically, but that is a hypothesis until checked against the home’s actual equipment and operation.
Your next four steps.
- Compare kWh per day.
- Match heating fuel and major loads.
- Distinguish solar generation from grid purchases.
- Measure the most plausible change.
Put the idea into numbers.
Open the calculatorHAUSE Energy · Reviewed September 8, 2026. For current program rules or prices, use your utility’s published documents and the regional source guide.