Electricity has become common to the point that it is considered a standard utility rather than a luxury. Most people don’t stop to think about just how much electricity they use in a day until the electric bill comes in, bringing with it worry and concern. Statistics say that energy costs are rising, and experts opine that they are not likely to go down in the near future. Here are a few things which will strongly affect the rise and fall of the price of electricity in the future.
Power Plants
The price of building, maintaining, and operating a power plant and supplying the workers with salaries all factor into how much electricity will cost. Distribution and transmission are also large expenses. As people rely on electricity more and more, there’s a strong chance that the increase in power plants and their maintenance, extra workers, and increased distribution and transmission will take a big toll on the energy bill.
Fuel Prices
Fuel is necessary in order to generate electricity, so naturally, power plants need to have a large supply of it. As the fuel prices can fluctuate, so will the cost of electricity.
Behind the Scenes
Not many people consider stockholders and investors in relation to their electric bills, but there are many different people involved in bringing energy to your home. People invest and hold stock in electricity. Someone has to rent out or purchase the power grid. The people behind the scenes of getting a power plant up and running are also trying to make a profit.
Different Kinds of Customers
It costs the utility companies far less time, effort, and money to supply electricity to large buildings and businesses rather than to private homes that use a comparatively smaller amount. As a result, residential consumers will often pay more per kilowatt hour.
Increased Screen Time
Binging your favorite streaming service for a few hours a day may feel like a good way to relax, but you probably won’t feel so relaxed when the energy bill comes in. As television, laptops, smartphones, and gaming consoles become standard in many households, fewer and fewer people take the time to unplug, and devices are left running for hours per day. This increases the demand for electricity, and with a higher demand comes a higher cost.
Climate Change
As changes in climate and inclement weather conditions become more common throughout the world, there is likely to be a higher demand for electricity as people advocate against using other kinds of fuels. Changing seasons can also take a toll on the electric bill. Electricity prices can double in the heat of summer and the dead of winter. As summers and winters grow longer and more severe in many parts of the world, so does demand for electricity.
Local Regulations
Utility services regulate the cost of electricity in many locations, while others have unregulated prices. This all factors into how much your electric bill will ultimately cost. Depending on where you live, and supply and demand, you may see increased electricity costs.
Electric Vehicles
Many people have turned to driving electric vehicles in an effort to save fuel and support the climate. However, charging an electric vehicle utilizes a massive amount of electricity, and this can have an enormous effect on energy costs.
Location
If you live in a very remote area, you might have to expect a much higher energy bill. Costs will increase to support the extra expense of fuel importation due to there being no nearby power plant.
Decreasing Fossil Fuels
More and more people are advocating for decreased fossil fuel usage as a solution to climate change. As a proposed alternative, wind power is on the rise, converting natural forces into electricity. This means that electricity is now starting to replace other sources of energy, and this highly increased demand will probably raise the cost of electricity significantly.
Electricity costs have been steadily increasing over the past few decades, and many experts believe that as the years progress, it will become even more expensive. The combination of increased consumer usage, climate change spreading throughout the world, and efforts to reduce other kinds of fuel have made electricity the inevitable fallback, and the unfortunate result is that prices will rise whether consumers like it or not.