Why Your Energy Bill Keeps Going Up (And What to Do About It)
Your electricity bill is higher today than it was five years ago. Not because you're using more power. US residential electricity prices rose roughly 30% between 2019 and 2024, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Heating and cooling accounts for more than half of a typical home's energy use. That combination is why your bill keeps growing even when your habits haven't changed.
CliQ is a smart thermostat that starts at $69, requires no C-wire, and runs on 2 AAA batteries. No installer, no rewiring, no learning curve. It's the simplest way to stop heating and cooling a house that doesn't need it.
- US electricity prices rose roughly 30% between 2019 and 2024, even if your own usage has stayed about the same.
- Heating and cooling is more than half of a typical home's energy bill — 52%, according to the EIA, the single largest category you can actually control.
- ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostats save an average of 8% on heating and cooling costs — about $50 per year, according to the EPA. The DOE estimates proper use can cut heating and cooling costs by up to 10%.
- The payback period depends on your electricity rate and how you use the thermostat. In high-rate states like California, where residential rates run around 31–35¢/kWh, those percentages translate to proportionally more dollars — and payback comes faster.
- One of the biggest barriers to getting a smart thermostat is the C-wire. It doesn't apply to CliQ, which runs on batteries instead of drawing power from your HVAC wiring.
Why have electricity prices gone up so much since 2019?
Several converging factors pushed costs up and kept them there.
Natural gas prices have risen more than 40% on an annual basis since 2019, with significant volatility along the way, according to EIA data. Natural gas fuels about 40% of US electricity generation. When the fuel costs more, the electricity costs more, and that increase gets passed directly to residential customers.
Grid infrastructure is also getting more expensive to maintain and expand. Utilities are investing in upgrades, wildfire mitigation, and storm hardening. Those capital costs show up in your bill as higher base rates and delivery charges, separate from the energy itself.
Demand is climbing too. More electric vehicles, more data centers, more heat pumps replacing gas appliances. The grid is carrying more load, and building capacity to meet that load costs money. The result: even if you use exactly the same electricity you used in 2019, you're paying significantly more for it. That trend isn't reversing.
Why does heating and cooling cost so much?
Heating and cooling account for more than half of a typical home's total energy use — 52%, according to the EIA. It's the largest category by far, more than water heating, lighting, refrigeration, and many appliances combined.
The reason it's so expensive is that most homes condition the entire space all day, regardless of whether anyone is home or which rooms are actually occupied. An empty house held at 70°F is just money leaving your account.
The other common mistake is "cranking" the thermostat to heat or cool faster. Your HVAC system runs at the same speed no matter what temperature you set. Setting it to 60°F doesn't cool your house faster. It just runs longer, overshoots, and then your system kicks back on to compensate. That cycle burns more energy than a steady, consistent schedule.
What actually lowers your heating and cooling bill?
Two changes drive most of the savings: a schedule and Away mode.
A schedule sets your preferred temperatures across different times of day: morning, daytime, evening, night. So you're not heating a sleeping house to daytime temperatures or running the AC while you're at work. Most households that switch from a manual thermostat to a programmed schedule often see noticeable savings on their first bill after setup.
Away mode takes it further. When you leave, a single tap tells your thermostat to drop to an efficiency temperature. It stops conditioning a house nobody is in. When you return, it brings things back up. You notice the savings. You don't notice the transition.
Geofencing automates this completely. Your thermostat detects when you leave and return based on your phone's location. Set it once. It runs in the background from there.
ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostats save an average of 8% on heating and cooling bills — about $50 per year, according to the EPA. The DOE estimates that homeowners who run consistent thermostat setbacks can cut heating and cooling costs by up to 10%. In states like California, where residential rates run around 31–35¢/kWh, those percentages translate to proportionally larger dollar savings.
How quickly does a smart thermostat pay for itself?
The math depends on your electricity rate and how consistently you use the schedule and Away mode. ENERGY STAR's independently verified average for certified smart thermostats is about $50 per year — putting payback on a $69 CliQ at roughly 16 months at the conservative baseline. The DOE estimates that homeowners who run consistent setbacks can cut heating and cooling costs by up to 10%. Applied to a typical US home's HVAC spend, that brings payback well under a year. Every month after that is net savings with no ongoing cost if you don't want one.
In California, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and other high-rate states, the payback is faster. These states have electricity rates that often run well above the national average, which means the same behavior changes produce proportionally larger dollar savings.
Very few other home upgrades have a payback period this short.
What's stopping most people from getting a smart thermostat?
One of the most common reasons people don't get a smart thermostat is the C-wire. A C-wire (common wire) is the 5th wire in your thermostat wiring that provides continuous 24V power to the device. Most smart thermostats require it. Most older homes don't have one installed at the thermostat. People check, find they don't have it, and give up.
CliQ was built specifically to remove that barrier. It runs on 2 AAA batteries instead of drawing power from your HVAC wiring. No C-wire needed. No adapter kit. No electrician. You remove your old thermostat, connect the same wires you already have, and CliQ handles the rest. The install takes about 5 minutes.
If you're not sure whether you have a C-wire, this guide explains how to check in 60 seconds. But if you go with CliQ, it doesn't matter either way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my electricity bill keep going up even though I'm not using more electricity?
Electricity prices themselves have risen sharply. US residential electricity rates rose roughly 30% between 2019 and 2024, driven by higher natural gas prices, grid infrastructure investment, and rising demand from electric vehicles and data centers. You can use the same amount of electricity and pay significantly more for it year over year.
How much does a smart thermostat reduce your electricity bill?
According to the EPA, ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostats save an average of 8% on heating and cooling costs — about $50 per year. The DOE estimates proper use of programmable or smart thermostats can cut heating and cooling costs by up to 10%. Your actual savings depend on your home's size, local electricity rate, and how consistently you use schedule and Away mode features.
What is the fastest payback period for a smart thermostat?
At ENERGY STAR's independently verified average of about $50 per year, a $69 smart thermostat pays for itself in roughly 16 months. For homes with higher electricity costs or higher HVAC spend, payback can come faster — in some cases within the first year. Homeowners in high-rate states like California, New York, and Connecticut typically see faster payback due to higher electricity prices.
What is a C-wire and do I need one for a smart thermostat?
A C-wire (common wire) is the 5th wire in thermostat wiring that provides continuous 24V power to the device. Most smart thermostats require one. CliQ does not. It runs on 2 AAA batteries instead, so it works in homes without a C-wire and requires no rewiring.
Does heating and cooling really account for half my energy bill?
More than half. According to the EIA, space heating and cooling accounts for 52% of a typical US home's total energy consumption. It's the single largest category, more than water heating, lighting, refrigeration, and many appliances combined, and the category you have the most direct control over.
Is setting a thermostat schedule actually worth the effort?
Yes, and it's a one-time effort. Setting a schedule takes about 5 minutes and runs automatically after that. Most households that switch from a manual thermostat to a consistent schedule often see noticeable savings on their first bill after setup.
Stop paying to heat and cool a house that doesn't need it
Energy prices aren't coming down. Heating and cooling will stay the biggest line item on your energy budget. The only variable you control is how efficiently your home handles it.
CliQ starts at $69. No C-wire. No installer. No subscription required to start saving. Set up a schedule, use Away mode when you leave, and the bill comes down.
Updated: March 17
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