Could your day-to-day home operations be increasing your energy consumption giving you inflated electric bills?
What is considered a high electric bill?
Are you worried that the high electric bill is affecting your family’s budget?
Worry no more because we’re going to demystify this issue and give you the necessary steps to take to reduce the high electric bill from your home in this article.
Why is my electric bill so high all of a sudden?
You are prone to incurring high energy costs due to the high inflation rates. Apart from this, high electricity bill causes could be due to colder seasons, kids being out of school, and spending more time at home contributing to high electric bills. While at home, you going to use more electric equipment hence consuming more energy.
During the colder seasons, your heater must be on to ensure that your home is heated up. Therefore, it consumes a lot of electric power. Over time, homeowners in Orange County have transitioned into renewable energy through the switch to solar panels. Solar energy can save you a lot of power hence minimizing your reasons for the unusually high electric bills.
Enlightened Solar is one of the solar installation companies that continue to enhance solar installation in Orange county. I know you keep asking yourself, why is my electric bill so high yet I have not added extra electronic equipment?
Well, your lifestyle could be a significant contributor to your high electricity bill. In this article, we take a deeper look at the steps you can incorporate to lower your home’s electric bill.
Here is what we are going to cover:
- Installation of Solar Panels
- Why Go Solar?
- Benefits of Solar for Homeowners and the Environment
- Tips for Lowering Your Electric Bill
- Install a Programmable Thermostat
- Line Dry Your Laundry
- Use Energy-Efficient Appliances
- Power and Lighting
- Buy Energy-Saving Bulbs
- Make Use of Smart Power Strips
- Conduct a Home Energy Audit
- Insulate your Home
- Seal the Leaks on your Doors and Windows
Install Solar Panels
Yes, you read that right!
Installing solar panels will be the most sustainable solution that will drastically lower your high electric bill. Despite being a major investment in terms of resources at first, you will experience a lot of relief from the unusually high electric bill. Therefore, solar panels are beneficial to the environment and the financial status of a homeowner.
Why go solar?
What are the benefits of making a switch to solar?
Whether your motivation to invest in solar is to save from the high electric bill or protect the environment, there are numerous benefits you will experience. So, why go solar?
To save on finances
Many people who choose to invest in solar in Orange County do so to save money. If you decide to go solar, there will be no reason for unusually high electricity bills. Investing in solar panels will reduce your high electric bill costs drastically.
Electric costs are the biggest consumers of household expenses in Orange County. Solar panels can help you generate your power for more than 20 years. Isn’t that a long time of savings and a stress-free lifestyle? Moreover, solar energy can reduce your utility bills hence saving you a lot of money. You just have to ensure you engage a high-quality solar provider for the services.
The benefit of Solar systems to the homeowner and the environment
Why is my electric bill so high all of a sudden?
Did you know that every year, the cost of electricity rises all over the country?
(Source: EnergySage)
Therefore, your electric bill is not about to go down anytime soon. So, what’s left for you? As a homeowner, deciding to invest in a solar system will help you avoid the rising energy costs.
You will have saved a lot by deciding to make a one-time investment to protect you from the irregular rise in energy costs. To achieve this, you will also need to learn some energy-saving tips that will be of great help to your home’s energy consumption. Imagine saving energy while still protecting the environment? Incredible!
Solar panels increase the value of your property.
A lot of homeowners have been misguided on the impact of solar on the value of the home. The truth is that your property will increase in value. Investing in solar panels is not in vain. A lot of people looking to buy homes want a home that has installed solar. Who wouldn’t want to save some money as soon as they buy a new home?
Do not hesitate to invest in a solar panel, and while at it, ensure that you contact expert installers. Sound installation of solar panels gives you a great return on your investment. Consult a solar installation company that is professional and values the needs of the client. At Enlightened Solar, we love our clients and bridge the gap of ensuring quality installation delivery for solar in Orange County.
Going solar is one of the most significant steps you can take to reduce high electric bills in your home. However, the return n investment of using solar cannot compare to any other investment. Remember, the goal is to save from the ongoing recurrent expenses.
Tips for lowering your electric bill
As you decide to go solar, other factors are necessary to consider in curbing high electricity bills in your home.
If this has been your question every time the bill comes your way, we have a solution for you. I need you to consider the following changes:
Install a programmable thermostat.
Did you know that your HVAC system is the most significant source of energy consumption in your home? In turn, it contributes the highest in energy expense when it comes to the high electric bill.
(Source: HomeSelfe)
However, you can change this vast consumption immediately. The heating and cooling system consumes energy based on a home owner’s preference and external temperature regulation. To reduce energy consumption, you need to consider installing a programmable thermostat.
It will help automatically regulate the temperature. As a result, your home will be more energy-efficient while eliminating manual heating and cooling regulation expenses. In addition, the programmable thermostat can regulate the temperatures to cost-effective levels when no one is home hence saving a lot of money.
Line dry your laundry.
When you are trying to save energy and lower the electric bill, the washing machine is an appliance that has to be considered. It contributes to the consumption of more energy than necessary, especially in the summer season. If there is some sun in your backyard, it would be prudent to wash your clothes with cold water and dry them in the sun.
It will save you the amount of energy consumed and the reduction of your electric bill. In addition, line drying your clothes will leave your clothes straightened. As a homeowner, you should consider this and also talk to your family about it.
Use Energy-Efficient appliances
If you are still using old appliances, they are also a reason for the high consumption of energy. Therefore, it is important to consider upgrading the appliances to fit those that are energy efficient. Electric appliances with the Energy Star label use less energy. For example, a dishwasher with an Energy Star label should use less than 3.5 gallons of water per cycle.
Old appliances consume more energy hence contributing to your high electric bill. While upgrading your appliances, make sure you start with those you regularly use.
Source: Solar Magazine
Power and Lighting
You should ensure that the lights and electronics in your home consume about 11% of the total energy. The bulbs in your house could be contributing to the high energy bill. Here is how you can regulate the energy consumption on lighting;
Buy energy-saving bulbs.
Energy-saving bulbs will go a long way in regulating the amount of energy used in your home. Change the bulbs in the rooms primarily used or rather where the lights stay on for longer. LED bulbs are more efficient, and they serve the same purpose, but this time-saving money through a much lower electricity bill.
You can also consider having switches that can regulate the brightness of the room. Thus, you can dim or brighten the room according to your preference while also saving energy.
Make use of smart power strips.
Powerstrips can turn off devices when not in use. You can do it to gadgets that do not go off but instead stand by using energy. When you plug the gadget into a smart power strip, the current is turned off, saving energy.
Conduct a Home Energy Audit
As a homeowner, you could get a home energy audit done by utility providers. This way, they will examine other methods that can enhance energy reduction in your home.
(Source: EDU Learn Web
Insulate your home
In the cold seasons, the external temperature regulates the inside of the house. Therefore, it is more severe when there is inadequate insulation. Insulation is the protection that enables your home to maintain its temperature, both the heat during the cold months and the cool during the summer months.
Thus, insulation allows you to save energy money. As a result, it is essential to check the insulation in your home, from your walls to your pipes, to reduce the need for heating and cut your electric bill.
Wrap extra insulation around pipes to give your water heater a break from the enormous amounts of work done during the winter months and to prevent the pipes from freezing.
Seal the leaks on your doors and windows
Leaking doors and windows contribute to high electric bills. Therefore, it is essential to check your entries and windows for leaks, openings, and broken seals. Over time these openings appear in our home and can go undetected, which affects our environment.
Replacing or caulking seals on your windows and doors will keep cold air from coming in and prevent hot air from escaping. In addition, it will keep you from spending unnecessary money and will improve the overall feel of your home.
Conclusion
So now you have the correct information, it’s up to you to make the decision.
A high electric bill should not be a reason to panic. You can regulate it and help you minimize the costs you pay on your utility bills.
I believe that through this article, you have identified some reasons for the unusually high electric bill. Enlightened Solar has assisted many homeowners in Orange County who are looking to switch to solar.
Customers come to our office with the big question,’ Why is my electric bill so high?’ So we assess if what is considered a high electric bill could be solved. High electric bill causes vary from house to house.
The adoption of solar in Orange County has been positive, and we are happy to engage and get good feedback from our clients. Solar panels are the efficiency you need in your home. We believe in transparency and giving value to our clients. Reach out to us for a consultation on how to make your transition and go solar.