It’s Cold: Why is My Energy Bill So High?

It’s almost winter, and temperatures have dropped considerably – so much so that most of us are using some form of heating all throughout the night to prevent freezing in some of our sub-40, close to record breaking low temperatures.

One thing you might notice, unfortunately, is that this is a time when your energy bills can be even higher – sometimes extremely so. But why would your energy bills be so high, and what can you do to try to reduce winter energy bills?

For Starters: Heating is More Expensive Than Cooling

Before going into greater detail on the causes of high energy bills in winter, let’s first answer the question “Which is more expensive, heating or cooling?” The answer is absolutely heating. Significantly so, in fact. Most estimates say that it takes about 4x as much energy to heat a home as it does to cool it.

At the core of this disparity is the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that heat naturally flows from a hotter object to a colder one. In the context of home climate control, this means when heating a home, the energy must raise the temperature of the indoor air to a level higher than the outdoor temperature.

During winter, the outside temperature can be significantly lower than the desired indoor temperature, requiring more energy to increase the indoor air temperature. The greater the difference between the outside and inside temperatures, the more energy is needed to maintain a warm indoor environment. Additionally, heat loss through walls, windows, and other surfaces compounds the energy required.

In contrast, cooling a home involves removing heat from the indoor air and transferring it outside. Air conditioners use refrigerants to absorb indoor heat and release it outside. This process is typically more energy-efficient than heating because it leverages the existing heat flow direction (from hot to cold).

In addition, the outside temperature, even in hot climates, is usually closer to the desired indoor temperature compared to winter heating scenarios, resulting in less energy consumption for cooling. Cooling a home from a difference of 100 degrees to 74 is a 26-degree difference. From 35 to 70 is a 35-degree difference. So, not only are you working with the direction of existing heat flow, you are also doing so with a smaller temperature range.

Energy Efficiency Issues in the Home Compounding Energy Costs

Here is a real story:

“I bought an older home in 2019. One of the selling points of this purchase was that the HVAC had been replaced only a few years prior with a new, powerful model. We moved in during spring. I noticed that the energy bills when the AC were running were pretty high – almost $500 a month, despite the home being a modest size. Once the weather started to cool, I thought that meant we could save money. Winter came, and it was cold. We have a central furnace. Our first energy bill was $1000. It was costing us $1000 to heat our home. I thought gas was supposed to be less expensive?”

There are a lot of factors that go into one’s energy bills. One factor that is more difficult to control is your home energy provider. Most customers in the Greater Sacramento region have either SMUD or PGE, with the latter offering more expensive rates, so those in places like Roseville, El Dorado Hills, Rocklin, and Cameron Park are often faced with pricier bills than those in Folsom, Fair Oaks, Elk Grove, and around Sacramento County.

But who provides your energy is not the only factor at play. Also at play is your home’s natural energy efficiency. You’re going to notice poor energy efficiency all year in the way that your home feels and the costs of your energy bills in the summer. But winter is where these issues can really come through, and you will need to consider what changes you may need to make to reduce your energy bills AND improve your comfort.

For example:

• Inadequate Insulation – Insulation plays a crucial role in retaining heat during winter. Poorly insulated walls, attics, and floors lead to significant heat loss, making your heating system work overtime. This issue is particularly acute in cold weather, as the temperature difference between the indoors and outdoors is much greater, and so the hot air travels out through the siding quickly. New insulation can be addressed with new siding, with products like vinyl siding with insulation to really help protect against this type of heat transfer.
• Air Leaks and Drafts – Gaps in windows, doors, and around utility lines allow cold air to infiltrate and warm air to escape. These drafts are more noticeable and problematic in winter because you are more likely to feel cold air, exacerbating the workload on your heating system. One way to address this is with new windows to reduce drafts and protect against air leaks.
• Old or Inefficient Heating Systems – Heating systems that are outdated or poorly maintained are less efficient and consume more energy. This is true all throughout the year, not only during winter but also during warmer months. Still, their inefficiencies are most apparent in winter, when they’re used extensively, leading to a spike in energy bills and a drain on your system. Repairing your heating or replacing your HVAC with a newer model is one way to address this.
• Window Type and Quality – Here in the Sacramento area, many of the windows in older properties are still using single pane windows, or windows that are older and losing their quality. Single-pane windows or windows with poor sealing are significant sources of heat loss in cold weather. Upgrading to double-glazed or energy-efficient windows is especially beneficial for retaining heat during colder months.
• Roof Conditions – A poorly maintained roof with missing shingles or inadequate insulation can lead to substantial heat loss in winter. The roof is a critical barrier against the cold, and any compromise in its integrity can significantly impact your home’s warmth and energy efficiency. Luckily, we don’t have much risk for snow here, which would cause significant challenges. But old roofing can still really struggle when it’s cold outside, particularly at night when the sun is gone. Ask about our metal roofing in Sacramento, which can offer outstanding energy efficiency all year.
• Water Heater Workload – Water heaters have to work harder to maintain hot water temperatures during colder months. This means that winter, rather than summer, is when your water related energy bills will increase – especially if located in unheated spaces like garages. An inefficient water heater can be a major energy drain in winter, and a challenge that is not faced in summer. There are some energy efficient water heaters that can reduce this challenge, including those that do not require as much insulation.

Each one of these issues not only affects your energy efficiency in a general sense – they also cause issues that are likely to be more noticeable and more problematic in the winter in ways that add dramatically to your energy usage and eventually your energy costs.

Other Factors Unrelated to Energy Efficiency Upgrades

Your property’s construction, features, and insulation are all going to be very common places where you are likely to experience significant added costs during the winter. But they are of course not the only reasons that your property may be too cold, and your energy bills too high. In addition to these property related challenges, there are behavioral challenges as well. For example:

• Use of Space Heaters – Inadequate central heating may lead to the use of space heaters, which are typically far less efficient and require a considerable amount of electricity. This issue is more prevalent in winter, as additional heat sources are sought to address cold spots in the home.
• Lower Thermostat Settings – Another factor that is often at play is that you are more likely to notice feeling cold than you are to feeling warm, and poor energy efficiency in general means that you are going to feel cooler air even when your home is warmer. For example, you are more likely to notice when 70 degrees feels like 66 than when it feels like 74, because a bit warmer tends to be more comfortable. When you have poor energy efficiency, you’re going to feel colder gusts that cause that feeling of 66 even if your home is otherwise warmed. This can lead to increasing the temp on the thermostat further, leading to more energy usage and costs.
• Lifestyle and Indoor Activity Increases – Cold weather often means more time spent indoors, leading to higher use of lights, appliances, and electronics, all of which contribute to the home’s overall energy consumption.

Lastly, many energy companies measure both the quantity of energy you use in a day, and the time that you’re using that energy, and then penalize or charge more based on that time of day – usually between 3pm and 7pm depending on the time of day. In the summer, many of us stay out until as late as 9pm, because it’s sunny outside and there is more to do. In the winter, when it’s dark by 4pm, most of us are inside where it’s brighter and warmer.

That means not only that you’re using more energy but you’re also using that energy during hours that increase the cost.  

Substantial Cost Savings and a Property Upgrade

Windows, siding and insulation, roofing, the HVAC itself – there are many, many reasons that a property’s energy is going to get far more expensive when it gets colder here in Sacramento.

Many of these require fairly large, property-wide upgrades to fix, like new windows, new siding, and new roofing. But one of the advantages of this is that you increase the chances of saving a considerable amount on your energy bills both now and in the future – not only in winter, but all throughout the year. This will likely offset some of those costs, while also potentially increasing the value of your property.

The technology of windows, siding, and roofing today has improved considerably. So much so, in fact, that the energy efficiency benefits should last for decades when property maintained. Any cost savings you see now should continue well into the future, eventually your upgrades pay for themselves over time.

Contact California Energy Consultant Service for More

As the weather gets colder, you are going to notice that the cost of your energy bills is likely to go up. But how much they go up matters. If you’re noticing substantial, extremely expensive energy bills, then most likely your home is struggling with at least one – if not more than one – energy efficiency problem like the examples above. If you’d like to learn more about how to improve your property’s energy efficiency in the cold, please contact Cal Energy, today.