Look at your bills and then maybe see if somebody at the power company can tell you what part seems abnormal. Uninsulated house? Need for a pool cover? Otherwise here the public utility sends printed materials with the mailed paper bills talking about things that can be done to reduce usage.

Pool heater left on?

Here's a list of things that use the most electricity in a home.

1. Cooling and heating: 47% of energy use
2. Water heater: 14% of energy use
3. Washer and dryer: 13% of energy use
4. Lighting: 12% of energy use
5. Refrigerator: 4% of energy use
6. Electric oven: 3-4% of energy use
7. TV, DVD, cable box: 3% of energy use
8. Dishwasher: 2% of energy use
9. Computer: 1% of energy use

As you replace your HVAC, water heater and other appliances, make sure when you shop for their replacements that you make energy efficiency a high priority. Start shopping for their replacements ahead of time so when it's time to replace them you already have done your research about which models you are going to buy. The Energystar.gov website is a good place to start your shopping. https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=partners.most_efficient_criteria

Cooling and heating: For air conditioning shop for models with a high SEER rating. The other question is how air tight is your house and how well is it insulated? Check for any leaks around your windows, doors or siding and fill the leaks using a caulking gun. A tube of caulk is only around $ 3 so some of these repairs are not very expensive. Check the insulation in your attic and decide if you need more insulation.

Water heater: If you use a standard electric water heater then consider replacing it with a heat pump water heater which you can buy at Home Depot. That will save you $300 per year in electric costs on a 50 gallon water heater.

Lighting: Do you use the most energy efficient light bulbs? That's an easy change to make. Do you have a light you keep on outside your front door? Consider adding a motion sensor switch for the light so it only turns on when you need to open the door.

Appliances: For refrigerators, electric ranges, electric ovens, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers you can look at the yellow annual cost of electricity stickers / tags to compare how efficient various models are when you buy replacements. The Home Depot website has that information available on their site for appliances so it's easy to review on your computer.

Are you heating the pool, is that what is driving the higher costs in summer? Possible arrangement (would cost some money to arrange/install, possibly new equipment) is heat pump/air conditioner - set up to dump waste heat from the A/C into the pool (or if you prefer, borrow cooler temperatures from the pool to cool the house, heating the pool at same time). Also doesn't say where you are, wouldn't rule out solar (assuming most or all of this expense is from electricity). Insulation, insulation, of course.

A two story height great room, a pool, and a room over a garage are your culprits. It’s doubtful that you have enough insulation anywhere. And use a solar heater for the pool, or don’t use the pool.

Get solar

Location and energy type rate are needed to really get some replys. Obvious issue to me would be insulation/air leaks/equipment issue (leaks, dirty, not properly maintained, etc) and such.

Lots of good posts in this thread. I have just a little to add.

Check with your power company about whether you're on time of use tariff without realizing it. You may be paying premium rates for your daytime power usage.

Also ask if they have peak demand charges. These can raise your per-kWh rate for an entire month if your peak power usage is especially high, even if the peak is just for a few minutes. For example, that could happen with both those air conditioners going, a load of laundry in the electric dryer, hot water from the electric water heater going into the washer, and something baking in the electric oven. (Assuming you have all those appliances; you haven't said.)

To counter time of use and/or peak demand charges, you have to be aware and strategic about how much power is already in use when you use big appliances, and time their use accordingly. Some of this can be automated -- for example, a timer on the water heater so it heats water only at low demand times (probably overnight).

Get your furnace and/or heat pumps and/or air conditioners serviced to be sure they're operating with the efficiency they're supposed to. Dirty coils and low refrigerant charges can knock it way down.

Think harder about how you set your thermostat. No offense, but "we don't run the air conditioning below 72 degrees" is no big sacrifice. You don't get bragging rights until you get down to 62 in the winter and up to 78 in the summer -- and by the way, I'm not there yet either. :) We all like comfort and convenience, but little comforts and conveniences add up.

Do you have kids? Are they careful about energy waste? Are you?

Go after your phantom loads. These are appliances and devices that sip energy even when apparently turned off. If you have a lot of them, it can really add up. Put them on switchable power strips.

Careful with the "get solar" advice. IMO right now your energy use appears to be way too high to even think about PV. You need to get your usage under control, stat. I agree that an energy audit from your utility company is a good place to start.

If you have an older single speed pool pump running 12 hours a day, then that's costing you $100 a month. A modern variable speed pump could cut that down to $25-$30. Cooling to 72 degrees vs the more usual 76 degrees could be costing you a couple of hundred a month. I'm guessing you like to be hot in the winter also - 76-78 degrees? That'll cost you a bundle also. Do you have gas heat or electric?

There's probably lots you can do but you'll need to provide more information and be prepared to make some adjustments.

Above and get a residential energy rater in there. einportlandor danced around it. Local governments and utilities often have use reduction programs and they often have an energy rating as part of it paying for the entire evaluation or part of it. Check local government, your state's land grant university and your utility company. Go to BPI and Resnet to find a rater if you can't find a program to find a rater on your own. These sites maybe the best place to find a program.

Sktn77a cooling to 76 degrees is “more usual” than 72 if you’re 85 years old.