How to Reduce Your AWS Billing Cost Effectively

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If you’ve noticed unexpected bills for a website you no longer use, you’re not alone. Even if your website isn’t accessible from the internet anymore, your AWS account might still be running some resources that are causing charges. Here’s how you can fix this and stop those unwanted bills.

First, understand that AWS charges for resources that are set up and running, whether or not they are actively serving traffic. Just because visitors can’t reach your site doesn’t mean these resources have been shut down. Servers, databases, storage, and other services might still be running in the background, and AWS bills for these.

To stop future charges, you need to make sure to properly delete or terminate all running resources. Simply stopping these services isn’t enough; you must fully delete or terminate them. This includes web servers, databases, load balancers, and storage volumes connected to your account.

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to do that:

1. Log in to your AWS Management Console.
2. Review your billing dashboard to see exactly which services are contributing to your costs.
3. Find any running instances, databases, or other active resources.
4. Make sure to properly terminate or delete these resources. When you delete, it removes the resources entirely and stops all charges.

It’s important to note that AWS does not automatically cancel charges for unused or inactive services. If a resource remains provisioned in your account, you are responsible for paying for it, whether it’s actively used or not.

If you think you’ve been billed incorrectly, don’t hesitate to reach out to AWS Support. You can do this through the AWS Support Center. When creating a support case, select “Account and Billing Support” and provide detailed information about your situation. They can review your account and help clarify any billing issues.

Remember, by deleting all active resources now, you’ll prevent further charges. However, if you’ve already accumulated costs before deleting, those charges will still need to be settled. Staying on top of your resources helps manage your costs effectively and keeps your bills under control.