Money
Heat, Hot Water, and Extra Laundry: What Pushes the Utility Bill Up When She Is Home All Day
A home where someone spends most of the day in bed or in a chair uses heat, hot water, and power differently. Learn which habits drive the bill and which settings her doctor should weigh in on before you change them.
When she was working, or out of the house during the day, the utility bill followed a pattern you could predict. Now the house is occupied all day, and the bill follows her care instead. Before you can lower it, you need to see what is driving it up.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
The four big drivers
Heat is usually the largest. A house set for two people who leave in the morning is not the same as a house set for someone who sits still for hours. Hot water is the second. Extra baths, sink washing, and frequent laundry all draw on the tank. Powered equipment is the third: any device that runs continuously, such as a charger, an air mattress pump, or a concentrator, adds to the base load. Lighting is the fourth, especially if you keep a light on for the night routine.
What you can change, and what needs her doctor
You can adjust your own schedule: run full laundry loads, bundle bathing into one time of day, and turn off lights in rooms no one uses. You can check the water heater setting and the age of the appliances. You can seal drafts around the room she uses most.
Changing the room temperature, the hot water temperature for bathing, or the timing of powered equipment can affect her comfort and her health. Ask her doctor before you make those changes, and write the answer on the day sheet so the next person in the house follows the same rule.
Ask the utility what it offers
Call the utility and ask four things: whether it offers a budget billing plan that spreads the cost evenly, whether it has a payment plan for accounts that fall behind, whether it lists any assistance programs for households with a medical or care need, and whether a note on the account changes its rules for shutoffs. Get each answer in writing or by email. Programs change, so ask the question each time you call rather than relying on what you heard before.
Compare the right bills
Do not judge the bill by one month. Pull up the last twelve months and compare the same season from the year before. That shows whether the increase is seasonal, which points to heat, or steady, which points to equipment or hot water. Write the two or three biggest changes on the day sheet, and mark the one you will test first. Local programs and resource lists are collected on the Local Help for Husband Caregivers page.