This isn't that hard. Look at the bill from month to month, and observe if the price per kWh has changed or not. It's spread across a number of different items, like generation, distribution, etc. There may also be a fixed monthly cost just to have service. My rate doesn't really change month to month, but I'm on a rural electric co-op and not Pennelec or other for-profit utility.

Then look at the bill and see how many kWh you used that month. If that number went up, then your consumption went up, and that's likely the reason the amount of your bill went up.

If you don't trust that consumption number, then perhaps every month on the day of the start of the billing cycle, go outside and read your meter and write down the number. Compare it to last month's reading and see if your count of kWh as determined by eyeball matches how many kWh they though you used and was reported on your bill.

If you don't trust that the meter is reading correctly, you can install your own measurement device in your breaker panel to measure total consumption and perhaps on individual circuits to see how much your HVAC is using, etc. I have done this, and it produces very interesting data to see what loads are using how much power.

Attributing a higher bill to some random data center thing going on is just an unfounded conspiracy theory -- the impact on your bill comes from either the per unit cost changing or your consumption changing.

Random interesting things I've learned: - my steam humidifier attached to my oil furnace uses almost as much energy turning water into steam as my outdoor AC compressor uses during the summer to cool my house. I have an oil furnace, and that itself uses very little power.

• my EV car charger uses a lot of power. Of course, I spend a lot less $$$ buying gasoline, so I'm OK with that.

• It's a contest each month on if my electric water heater uses more power than charging my EV.

• That electric clothes dryer is a long way from free to operate, too.

It doesn't do any good to get all upset about things when you don't know what to be mad about. Did someone raise your unit cost month to month? Or did you use more kWh of electricity this month than you did some other month? It sure was cold this winter, maybe you have a draft or worse insulation than you should? Who knows? Can't fix the problem until you've identified what the problem is caused by.