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There are many factors you can start to re-adjust in your home starting today. If you still aren't convinced on the benefits of using solar panels, there are tons of other strategies you can use below that will lower that power bill substantially.
We will break it down with your air conditioner, house fans, pool equipment, and light bulbs.
Your Air Conditioner
If you own an air conditioner, you will need to ensure that the filter is cleaned or changed every 3 months in the winter and every 45 days in the summer. A dirty filter restricts airflow more than it seems.
Now let's discuss the thermostat. A good strategy to use is to set the temperature on your thermostat to the setting you want until an hour before the time of use rate goes up.
For one hour, you can lower your thermostat 4 degrees cooler than the normal setting. Then when the peak rate starts, set your temperature to 4 degrees higher than the normal setting. You will save up to 30% per month on your power bill. In the winter, you can set the heat at 68 degrees and lower it when you sleep. In the summer, set it above 77 degrees.
The difference between 77 degrees and 72 degrees is about $100 per month in a 2500 sq. ft. home.
House Fans
If you don't have a whole house fan, get one. Use it to cool your home down when it’s cool outside—it uses 1/20th of the power of your air conditioner (170 watts vs. 4,500 watts!).
It always seems wrong when it's cooler outside than inside the home, yet the air conditioner is running. A whole house fan will make the inside of your home the same as it is outside in about 10 minutes. And the best thing about them is they cool down your attic.
During peak summer your attic can remain above 110 degrees well into the night when it's only 80 degrees outside, but a whole house fan will cool it down in no time.
Pool Equipment
For your pool, make sure to run your pool equipment during the lowest power rate times. We recommend running your pool pump for 5 hours a day, and have dozens of customers that have sparkling pools doing so. Most pool services recommend running the pump for 8 hours per day, but they aren’t paying the electric bill.
Light Bulbs
LED bulbs give off the same amount of light for 6 watts as a standard bulb does in 60 watts - a 90% savings! They use so little power that it won't ever matter if you turn that light off ever again.
They also last for about 50 years, so you won't have to change them again. Since 2018 they have been available in varying colors of white from super white to soft white. Color is rated in Kelvin, and you won't be able to tell much difference plus or minus 500 kelvin. A super white bulb is 5,000+ kelvin, and a soft white bulb is about 3,500 kelvin.
They can be more expensive than standard bulbs, but if you wait for your favorite big-box store to have them on sale, they are only about $3.50 each. If you use a bulb only a few minutes a day, don't bother changing it.
But for landscaping, the kitchen, living room, or any other lights that are left on for hours a day, change to LED bulbs for dramatic savings.
For more information or questions on how you can save money on your next power bill or for solar panels in general, go a head and give Planet Solar a call at (800) 859 - SOLAR or email us at info@PlanetSolar.com