Web Site Lets You Compare Your Usage and Neighbors’

Is it the heated water bed? The houseful of incandescent lightbulbs? The 20-minute shower? Something is making my home electric bill higher than average, according to Southern California Edison. Somehow, my ZIP Code neighbors are doing a better job of conserving energy than I am.

This information isn’t on my bill. It’s from the Energy Cost Comparison Guide at https://www.edisonathome.com. Type in a ZIP Code and the home’s approximate square footage, and the “whole house estimator” spits out a monthly and an annual average of kilowatt-hours and costs (in pre-rate-increase prices) for comparable homes.

Now, reach for your Edison bills and a calculator. In my case, the average monthly energy cost for comparable homes was about $62, or $746 annually, while my bills totaled $1,007 for 12 months. That’s $84 a month--about 35% more than those average folks.

Edison’s Appliance Energy Estimator at the same Web site reveals some possible culprits:

* A 20-minute shower costs 74 cents daily ($270 annually).

* A water-bed heater costs about $100 a year to run.

* A 100-watt incandescent lightbulb on six hours a day costs about 7 cents ($26.21 annually) while the more efficient but comparable 18-watt compact fluorescent bulb costs about 1 cent daily ($5.24 annually).

I’m buying some new bulbs.

Send your questions or suggestions regarding energy use to Home Design, Los Angeles Times, Orange County edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 or send e-mail to ocsocalliv@latimes .com. Please include your name and phone number.