Understanding and calculating your electricity bill
Understanding and calculating your electricity bill
Below you’ll find two ways to estimate your electricity costs.
The first way explains how to calculate your costs manually, while the second way offers an easy-to-use calculator.
Use this calculation to get a more accurate look at your monthly electricity costs. Find the kWh of each appliance and multiply each number by the average price you pay for electricity service, which you can find on your electricity bill. To do this, you need to follow these four steps:
For example, if you use a 60-watt lightbulb for 5 hours each day, and the average price you pay for electricity service is $0.12 per kWh, your calculation would look like this:
1. 60 watts x 5 hours = 300 watt-hours
2. 300 watt-hours / 1,000 = 0.3 kWh
3. 0.3 kWh x $0.12 per kWh = $0.036
So, the estimated cost of operating that lightbulb is $0.036 per day or about $1.08 per month.
4. Repeat the steps for every appliance, add the monthly costs up and you’ll see the estimated cost for your entire house.
Another method to estimate your electricity usage is this US Dept of Energy online calculator. This calculator is a simple tool that provides a quick and easy way to estimate your monthly electricity usage and costs. The calculator uses your appliance’s wattage, how often it’s used and the electricity rate in your area to estimate your monthly electricity consumption and costs.
Simply enter your appliance information, and the calculator will provide you with an average monthly cost.
The weather in Texas is unpredictable, and house sizes and general energy efficiency vary greatly. Keep that in mind when trying to predict what your future bills might be.
The figures above depict overall averages in Texas. Your exact figures will vary depending on the area you live in, the size and age of your home, the age of your appliances, weather conditions and a variety of other factors. For a more in-depth list of factors that could affect your electricity usage, see below.
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Reliant calculates the electricity cost per month by multiplying the home’s energy usage (kWh/month) by the electricity rate in your chosen electricity plan.
The cost of electricity per month for customers is impacted by the amount of energy consumed and the size of the home or apartment. The average electricity in a Texas apartment will cost $89/month while a house will cost $154/month. The electricity cost per month can also fluctuate depending on the season and the size of your family.
| Square Footage | Avg. Monthly Electricity Consumption on per KWh | Avg. Electricity Cost |
| Fewer than 1,000 | 773.67 | $92.84 |
| 1,000 – 1,4999 | 1,022.08 | $122.65 |
| 1,500 – 1,999 | 1,208.67 | $145.04 |
| 2,000 – 2,499 | 1,195.75 | $143.49 |
| 2,5000 – 2,999 | 1,272 | $152.64 |
| 3,000 or greater | 1,453.75 | $174.45 |
| Number of Household Members | Avg. Monthly Electricity Consumption on per KWh | Avg. Electricity Cost |
| 1 Member | 819.58 | $98.35 |
| 2 Members | 1,103.25 | $132.39 |
| 3 Members | 1,189.58 | $142.75 |
| 4 Members | 1,394.92 | $167.39 |
| 5 Members | 1,425.92 | $171.11 |
| 6 or More Members | 1,519.92 | $182.39 |
Data sourced from the same source used for the other calculations: https://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2015/c&e/pdf/ce5.3a.pdf.
The best way to find out which utility company services your property is to look at your current electricity bill. If you can’t find the information on your bill, then it is best to call your current energy provider and ask them for the utility company’s information. It’s important to know your utility company in the case of a power outage or other emergency in your area.
The average electricity bill for Texas apartments is estimated at around $89 a month. Using data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average energy usage for an apartment is approximately 741 kWh/month,1 and the average cost of electricity for Texas is around 12 cents per kWh.2 If we multiply these two numbers together, the average monthly electricity bill for an apartment comes out to $89 (all numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number). This estimated number is an average and will fluctuate depending on your energy usage, the size of your home, your electricity rate and other fees.
For a Texas home, the average electricity bill is $154 per month. Using the same data as before, the average energy usage in a single-family home is 1,280 kWh/month.3 Multiplying this number by 12 cents per kWh,4 the average monthly electricity bill for a Texas home is $154 (all numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number). This number is also an estimated average and will fluctuate depending on your unique situation.
Smart meters are the equivalent of a home’s electricity nerve center, connecting it to the smart grid and enabling consumers to have better control over their usage and spending. About 6 million out of the 6.5 million traditional meters in the Texas competitive market have been replaced with smart meters. Smart meters capture data every 15 minutes, giving you consistent information about your electricity usage. As a result, action can be taken almost immediately to reduce consumption and cost.
1 The data used for average energy usage for rented apartments came from the 2015 Detailed household site electricity end-use consumption report from EIA.
2 The data for average cost per kWh came from the Average price of electricity to ultimate customers by end-use sector, updated in April 2019 from EIA.
3 Estimates are based on average consumption by comparable dwellings in the same area and are not exact predictors. Your electricity bills may vary. The Reliant Bill Estimator should be used for informational purposes only.
4 The data used for average energy usage for owned single-family homes came from the 2015 Detailed household site electricity end-use consumption report from EIA.
