Why was my bill so high this month?
As Wright-Hennepin (WH) members start receiving their September bills, we’ve gotten calls and messages asking why they’re so high.
Posted by Lauren Dublin on September 22, 2025
As Wright-Hennepin (WH) members start receiving their September bills, we’ve gotten calls and messages asking why they’re so high. Here are a few reasons:
1 Bills reflect last month’s usage. While you’re receiving your bill mid-September, it’s showing your usage from mid-July to mid-August, when it was extra hot outside. Consider what you may have been doing over the summer – Did you have the AC on more, because it was hot out, or due to the air quality from wildfire smoke? Did you have a bbq with people in and out of your house constantly, letting that cold air out? Were you doing extra laundry (and subsequently running the electric dryer more) trying to keep up with the kids’ dirty sports uniforms? Dehumidifiers, pool pumps, and having the thermostat fan set to ON may also be contributing factors in a higher bill.
2 Power cost adjustment. Like the name implies, this rate on your bill varies based on the cost of power WH buys. WH is a distribution cooperative, meaning we do not generate electricity. We buy electricity from the Midwest’s regional grid (through our primary wholesale power suppliers Great River Energy and Basin Electric Power Cooperative), and distribute it to our members, who use the electricity to power their lives. When costs vary in the regional grid, the power cost adjustment portion of your bill fluctuates to match.
Learn more about how to read your bill.
3 Old or inefficient appliances. Old appliances use more electricity than new ones, since they’re often less efficient than the options on the market today. Plus, many require regular maintenance to keep them running at their best. Consider a WH Appliance Repair plan to keep your appliances running, for one flat rate (less than $1 a day!), and even add on a preventative maintenance plan for your furnace and air conditioner.
Did you know you can monitor and track your electric usage by the month, day, or even hour? With MyMeter, a free tool available to WH members, you can view the amount of electric your account has used. MyMeter offers everything you need to manage your account right at your fingertips. Sign up for notifications for outages, energy use notifications, and Energy-Saving Program alerts through MyMeter.
Access MyMeter through your online billing account. Scroll down on the home page and click on the MyMeter link to log in.
Still have questions? Give our member services team a call at (763) 477-3000, and they’d be happy to walk through billing questions or your energy usage with you. For a charge, you can even have our Energy Use Consultants perform an energy use assessment on your home.
