Everyone dreads monthly energy bills because they just seem to get higher and higher with each month.

Why should we even have to pay so much for energy?

It’s energy.

Nikola Tesla, who pondered the concept of free energy for all, saw it coming. The fact is that the big energy corporations don’t care how illogical it seems as long as they can make some huge profits from it.

While the U.S. average monthly utility bill in 2017 was 111 dollars, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, that number climbs each year. Consider the fact that over the course of 20 years, monthly electricity adds up substantially. You will have paid energy companies tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention the huge carbon footprint it leaves behind.

Unfortunately, we can’t have normal lives without energy. However, there are ways to possibly lower energy bills, like being mindful of your personal energy use habits. Another way to save is switching to solar energy.

 

How To Reduce Or Eliminate Electricity Costs

We’re constantly wondering how to reduce bills, but in the end, energy costs are still on the rise. New eco-conscious methods are doing more for our environment and helping to reduce utility bills at the same time. With solar panels, you can reduce or even eliminate one of your highest expenses, saving a ton of money over time. If you have an adequate number of solar panels installed, going solar can yield an average savings that can add up to 1,400 a year or $12.89 per kilowatt.

Of course, desperate times call for desperate measures, and there will be times when those conventional utilities like heaters and AC units stay cranked. Thanks to climate change, those summer months are getting hotter and the winter months colder.

This is nothing to be bothered by since you’ll mostly be using clean energy that is safe and inexpensive.

Heating And Cooling Your Home With The Power Of Sunlight

On the other hand, those AC and heating units no longer have to be electric powered. As the two major factors that determine utility rates, AC and Heating Units are often the largest expense for homeowners and are the top things to consider when determining how to reduce bills. The good news is that the solar industry has developed solar thermal units that power heating and cooling systems.

By simply installing a rooftop solar unit, you can heat and cool your home more efficiently, reducing the use of natural gas and lowering your utility bills at the same time.

Of course, there are still other beneficial steps like weatherizing your home. This can lower costs whether you use natural gas or sunlight. Simple do-it-yourself steps like caulking, checking for leaks and installing window film go a long way.

Solar Plus Batteries

Another benefit to using solar energy is the genius invention called the solar battery. Going solar doesn’t always guarantee a substantial amount of available energy, and many factors determine the energy that homeowners can harness. Things to consider are family size, your location, climate and even the angle of your roof.

With solar plus batteries, you can harness and store the energy from your solar system. This means you can have energy at night when the sun has set. This makes life convenient, and you get to save on monthly electricity expenses. You’ll actually be saving even more since utility rates are higher in the evenings. The battery recharges as soon as the sun rises.

Energy Metering

Another way to save is having your solar panel and electric meter work together. When you have pulled solar energy that doesn’t get used, that energy can be stored in your electric grid. The energy stored there adds credits to your electricity account. When you do use your grid, the energy stored from your solar panel can be used. As long as you draw the same amount or less that has been stored, you won’t have a bill.

In the end, you may receive an invoice with energy metering but owe nothing to the power company.

Tax Incentives For Using Renewable Sources

If an average savings of $1400 isn’t enough, then prepare for more savings with the renewable source tax incentives. Based a few factors, like the state that you’re in, you could qualify for an investment tax credit. The federal investment tax credit allows you to deduct one third of your energy system installation costs from your federal taxes. Check with your state for similar incentives.

Your rooftop solar system not only rewards you with an environmentally conscious medal of distinction. You can look forward to a lot of extra money in your pocket.

Solar Leases

Although incentives and the opportunity to avoid high electric bills are enticing, the fact is that solar thermal systems aren’t inexpensive to purchase. You may be keen on saving money and the environment but can’t afford the thousands of dollars for a solar panel or solar panel array.

Businesses in the solar industry now offer solar leases that allow you to pay a monthly fee to lease your panel instead of purchasing one. An added perk is that a lease includes maintenance, repairs, free equipment, monitoring and full insurance coverage.

Time-Of-Use Rates

An additional way to save on electricity costs is enrolling in a TOU (time-of-use) plan. This program bases rates on the time that you use energy. Rates are generally lower when utilities are used during down times, or times of the day when fewer residents are drawing from the utility grid.

For example, it’s more expensive to operate your appliances after 8 PM, a time when many residents are pulling energy from the utility grid at the same time, as opposed to before 9 AM.

This can be a difficult change to adapt to, however, since most users spend less time at home during the day and more time at home at night. For some, it’s all but impossible to do. That’s why renewable sources are so valuable.

 

How Solar Panels Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Clean energy not only allows you to save money. Looking at the bigger picture, solar panels lead to the reduction of greenhouse emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2).

An average vehicle emits 4.7 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions yearly. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one 6 kilowatt solar system can reduce emissions by 6.3 metric units. Therefore, one system can offset the emissions of one vehicle.

By now, you may be ready to lease or purchase your own solar system. We don’t blame you since there are few cons and a ton of pros. That big and bright life-giving star in the sky isn’t going away any time soon, so solar power is here to stay.