Guides
Energy Guides
Practical, number-driven guides to understanding and cutting your energy costs.
Most "save energy" advice is vague — use less, unplug things, go green. These guides are the opposite: every claim is priced out in dollars and kilowatt-hours, using the same formulas built into our free calculators. Whether you're trying to work out how to lower your electricity bill, how many solar panels you need, whether a heat pump beats your furnace, or what size generator to buy, you'll find the actual math — not marketing. Read the guide to understand the logic, then run your own numbers in the matching calculator to get an answer for your home, your rates, and your usage.
Appliance Wattage Chart
Running watts, startup surge, and typical monthly kWh for 60+ household appliances — the reference table behind bills, generator sizing, and solar planning.
Open the chart →Cut your electricity bill
Find what's driving your bill and the fixes that actually move the number.
How to Lower Your Electric Bill
Twelve fixes ranked by real dollar impact — free habits to fast-payback upgrades.
Read the guide → Updated July 2026 · 6 minAverage Electricity Bill
Typical bills by home size and region — and how to tell if yours is high.
Read the guide → Updated July 2026 · 5 minSpace Heater Running Costs
What 1,500 W really costs by usage pattern — and what actually cuts it.
Read the guide → Updated July 2026 · 4 minSolar & panels
Whether solar pays off, how big a system you need, and how fast it pays back.
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?
From your monthly kWh to a panel count in three steps, with worked examples.
Read the guide → Updated July 2026 · 5 minSolar Payback Period Explained
How to calculate payback, what counts as good, and what speeds it up.
Read the guide → Updated July 2026 · 5 minHeating & cooling
The biggest swings on most bills — cooling in summer, heating in winter.
How Much Electricity Does AC Use?
Power and cost by AC type and size — window, portable, mini-split, central.
Read the guide → Updated July 2026 · 5 minHeat Pump vs Furnace
The break-even math: when a heat pump is cheaper, and when gas still wins.
Read the guide → Updated July 2026 · 6 minEV & backup power
Running an electric car for less, and keeping the lights on in an outage.
EV Charging Cost vs Gas
Cost per mile compared — the math, real examples, and when EVs save most.
Read the guide → Updated July 2026 · 5 minWhat Size Generator Do I Need?
Add running and starting watts to size backup power, with typical sizes.
Read the guide → Updated July 2026 · 6 minHow we make these guides
Every number here is calculated from standard, published formulas — the same math that powers our 31 free calculators — not scraped from other blogs or invented for effect. We state the formula and the assumptions on each page so you can verify the logic and swap in your own rates. Typical price ranges reflect 2025–2026 conditions and are reviewed as energy costs shift. Everything is a planning estimate: your utility tariff, local climate, and a qualified professional have the final say. See our About page for more on how the site works.
Prefer to just run your own numbers?
Start with the electricity bill calculator, drill into culprits with the appliance running cost tool, and price the big moves with the solar savings and heat pump savings calculators.
Guides FAQ
How accurate are these energy guides?
Every figure is calculated from standard industry formulas — the same math built into our calculators — not guessed. We show the formula and assumptions so you can check and adjust them to your own rates. Results are planning estimates; your utility tariff and local conditions have the final word.
Are the guides and calculators free?
Yes — every guide and all 31 calculators are free, with no signup or download. The calculators run entirely in your browser and store nothing.
How often are the guides updated?
We review them periodically and update figures and price ranges as energy costs change. Each guide shows its last-updated date at the top.