Why Spreadsheets Aren’t Enough to Track Your Energy Costs

If you’re tracking your energy bills in a spreadsheet, you’re not alone. It feels like the responsible thing to do — you can see exactly where your money goes, verify every calculation, and keep electricity and gas costs in one place. It’s transparent. It’s free. And it gives you a sense of control when bills keep climbing.

A large number of Canadians still track their energy this way. In Ontario, 38% of homeowners say they use spreadsheets to track energy, 35% rely on bills or credit card statements, and only 11% use an app.* Spreadsheets feel safe, familiar, and free — and they offer you a sense of control and visibility.

But what used to be simple data entry from your bill into a sheet now means cross-checking rate plans, peak windows, and contract changes — things spreadsheets were never designed to handle. As plans, riders, and programs get more complex, that “simple” spreadsheet starts to demand more time, more tabs, and more double-checking just to stay accurate.

* 2025 Jotson Ontario Report

The appeal of tracking energy with spreadsheets

Even with all that effort, a lot of homeowners stick with spreadsheets for good reasons:

• Easy to start — Most people already have Excel or Google Sheets, so there’s nothing to download or sign up for
• Completely transparent — You can see (and verify) how every number is calculated, no algorithm making decisions you can’t verify
• Work across providers — Different companies for electricity and gas? Track them both in one place
• Fits your existing habits – If you’re already using a spreadsheet for your household budget, adding an energy tab is natural
• Feels objective — Your data, your formulas, no app “guessing” at your numbers

For many households juggling rising bills, one master sheet feels like control in a messy system. But if you’re looking for a less hands-on approach, it’s worth comparing a few energy-saving apps in Canada that can help you track (and potentially lower) your bill.

What energy spreadsheets track

Most home energy spreadsheets track similar information. Let’s walk through what’s actually useful to capture for electricity and natural gas.

Electricity: usage, costs, and plan details

Here are the most useful columns to include on the electricity tab of your spreadsheet:

• Billing period & utility – This lets you compare this January vs last January instead of just looking at one big annual total. Important when you’re trying to figure out if that new heat pump or those LED bulbs actually made a difference.
• Plan type (and/or contract details) – In Ontario, log whether you’re on TOU (Time-of-Use), Tiered, or ULO (Ultra-Low Overnight). In Alberta, track whether you’re on a fixed or floating rate, and include your rate and term if you have contract details.
• kWh used – Your main usage number. Tracking it month by month shows whether upgrades (LEDs, heat pump, new appliances) or habit changes (AC settings, EV charging) are actually cutting your electricity use.
• Bill breakdown (energy, delivery, riders, rebates, tax) + total – Splitting the bill into pieces helps you see if a jump in your bill came from using more electricity or from higher rates and fees. A simple “all-in $/kWh” column (total ÷ kWh) then shows your true price each month, after everything is added.

Natural gas: volume, delivery, and carbon

Tracking gas is similar to electricity, but with heating-specific details. Useful columns include:

• Billing period & Utility – Gives you a clean month-by-month timeline — same as electricity. Lets you compare this winter to last winter.
• Gas used (m³ or GJ) – This is your natural gas consumption. Many Ontario bills show usage in m³ (volume), while many Alberta bills display usage in GJ (energy). If your bill shows both, pick one unit and track it consistently so your comparisons make sense.
• Bill breakdown (commodity, delivery/distribution, carbon, rebates, tax) + total – Shows what’s driving the bill: gas usage vs fixed delivery fees vs policy charges like carbon pricing. Add an “all-in $/unit” column (total ÷ m³ or GJ) so you can see whether changes are coming from usage or a higher per-unit cost.

How you actually get energy data into those sheets

To keep a spreadsheet up to date, homeowners typically log into one or more portals (electricity, gas) and then copy or export the same few numbers each month — usage, total amount due, and key line items.

Some utilities make data access easier. In Ontario, for example, Hydro Ottawa lets you download up to 24 months of hourly usage data in Excel, PDF, or Green Button (XML). But you still have to summarize and reformat it for your sheet — those hourly readings don’t automatically turn into the monthly view you need. Other utilities are more manual: ENMAX’s Energy Insights graphs are view-only and can’t be exported, so you end up re-typing totals and charges from each bill.

And it’s not just “type last month’s total” anymore. What used to be simple now often means double-checking rate plans, peak windows, and contract changes so your comparisons still make sense. Did your rate change? Are you still on TOU or did you switch to ULO? Is that spike because you used more power, or because delivery fees went up?

Where spreadsheets fall short

Spreadsheets have their place. But as an energy tracking tool, they hit some hard limits:

• No automation: You have to open the file, find the right tab, enter each number, and save — every single month. Miss a month and you have a gap in your data.
• Outdated rates: Rate plans can change without notice (especially in Alberta, where floating rates adjust regularly), so the data you export might not reflect what you’re actually being charged unless you manually verify it.
• No alerts or nudges: A spreadsheet can’t flag that your winter usage is 20% higher than last year, or that a different plan may be cheaper.
• Siloed fuels: Electricity and natural gas often live in separate tabs, which makes it harder to see your total household energy cost in one view. You can total them manually, but it’s one more step.
• No built-in recommendations: A spreadsheet can show what changed — usage went up, your bill went down, delivery fees increased — but it won’t proactively point out where the savings are. That insight work is all on you.

Why an app like Jotson is the logical next step

Spreadsheets are a great starting point for people who want more control. Jotson takes that same instinct — “I want to see and own my data” — and turns it into a clearer, more actionable view of your energy costs.

Instead of logging into portals and doing manual data entry every month, Jotson:

• Automatically pulls billing and usage data where it’s available – including through standards like Green Button in Ontario – same visibility, no monthly homework.
• Tracks electricity, natural gas, and vehicle fuel together so you see your full energy picture instead of separate silos.
• Sends alerts with actual savings estimates – not just “your bill went up”, but “switching to ULO would save you $42/month based on how you’re actually using electricity”.
• Adds cost forecasts and plan comparisons so you know when to change plans, adjust habits, or plan upgrades — without building a single formula or remembering to check a calculation you set up six months ago.

Spreadsheets help you record your bills. Jotson helps you understand them — and actually act on them.

Download the Jotson app for free today and connect your utility data in minutes. Your spreadsheet instincts were right — now let Jotson do the heavy lifting.