Electricity consumption: how to identify causes of rising bills

Unexpected increases in electricity bills are often caused by appliances that operate continuously or for long periods, rather than single, short-term uses. Key culprits include refrigerators, which may consume more energy if door seals are faulty, if they are overloaded, or if dust accumulates on the condenser coils.

Smart meters can help identify these patterns by recording consumption every 15 minutes. While a single spike in a usage graph might indicate a short-term use like an oven or kettle, sustained high usage levels—especially during the night when most appliances are off—can signal a malfunctioning or inefficient device.

According to Karolis Dargis of the Ignitis smart solutions team, analyzing these consumption graphs allows users to distinguish between temporary spikes and recurring habits. Customers using the EnergySmart app can monitor their daily, weekly, or monthly usage to better understand their household energy pulse and identify potential issues.