Electricity is probably one of the more important utilities. Without electricity, you can’t watch TV or listen to the radio. Your phone will be dead within a couple of days. Your food will spoil as your refrigerator can not keep the food cold. If you cook with a microwave, that is also impaired. I would consider electricity as probably the most important utility.
Call your electric company and ask if there are any programs for low income households. Even if you are just one person, you are considered as a household of 1. Also, see if they can spread your peak periods across to make the electric bill about the same every month. This will help you in budgeting which you should be doing. Especially if they do not have such programs, you should use your electricity wisely. Turn off lights in rooms that are not occupied. If you have a computer, turn off the screen when you aren’t using it. Only use the TV when needed. If you need background noise, consider a radio, or MP3 player. This will be much cheaper to operate than a TV.
What I Do
I am fortunate to have my electricity included. However, I still practice what I preach. Most of the day, I am playing my music collection. I will watch television from 6PM – 7PM which is the local and national news. After the news, I will turn on the radio (unless there’s a hockey game). By using these options, I keep my electrical use low while still not having to deal with silence.