BillShocker

Guides — April 2026

Plain-English answers to the questions a shocking bill raises. Every hard number is computed from official EIA and PJM data, dated April 2026, and refreshed monthly — and every guide includes the calculator so you can run your own bill.

• Why Is My Electric Bill So High?

  The two-sided diagnosis — usage or price — with the national picture: residential prices rose year over year in 47 of 51 U.S. jurisdictions in April 2026.

  EIA April 2026 data · PJM auction prices · embedded calculator

• Why Did My Electric Bill Double?

  The six realistic causes of a true 2x jump — seasonal swings, new loads, estimated meter reads, expired fixed plans, rate increases, billing cycles — in the order worth checking.

  EIA April 2026 data · DOE wattages · embedded calculator

• The PJM Capacity Charge, Explained

  What the capacity charge is, how the auction fixes prices through 2029, which states pay it, and the documented arithmetic from $/MW-day to cents per kWh on your bill.

  PJM auction results · sourced and dated · embedded calculator