Month: May 2021

May 27, 2021 | Cristina Dinulescu

When you buy a home or move into a new house, it’s generally pretty easy to find out who your utility company is and they usually service the entire area. Many homeowners think that it’s therefore a given and you can’t really do much about it. However, you can switch electric company if you want to, provided that you live in a state that allows it.

Not all states allow households to change their electricity  provider, but California does and this could potentially save you a lot of money. The level of difficulty in changing your electric provider is not high at all, despite common belief. You can do most of the research online, and then deal with the actual switch on the phone. It may require some time commitment, depending on how much in-depth research you want to do.

Before you get really excited at the chance to switch your electric company, there are a few basic questions you should answer. Below, we walk you through 5 most common steps you’ll have to take, as well as basic considerations to take into account, from potential cost savings to customer service comparison and more. 

1. Can You Switch Electric Company?

As mentioned above, the first step you need to take is figure out if you are even able to do this. There are currently 15 deregulated energy states, which allow homeowners to switch and choose their energy provider. California is one of them, together with Texas, Pennsylvania or Illinois. Because of this choice, electricity providers face more competition, which can work in your favor. They will be more willing to offer you better rates and terms in order to gain your business. 

Even after a certain company has gained your business, you can still change your mind and switch as often as necessary to meet your needs. One thing to know and remember though, is that even though electricity providers are deregulated and compete for business, the delivery of electricity is regulated by the state, so even if you switch companies, your electricity will be delivered the same way.

To that extent, moving from one company to another should not disrupt your service in any way, as in most cases it doesn’t even require an on-site visit from the new company’s technician.

2. Will You Get Better Rates?

Now that you’ve established you are in a position to switch, the second step you need to take is figuring out if it’s worth it. People usually consider making this change in order to get better rates and save money. You can use comparison websites, such as Utility Choice, or any other you can find, to compare plans and rates in your area. Just make sure the information you get is up to date for the current year.

But the cost to consider is not just in terms of electricity rates. If you switch before your current contract is up, then there may be early termination fees that you’ll have to pay. You’ll have to check what terms your contract is under, as some utility providers offer month-to-month or short-term contracts, while others offer multi-year options. 

To understand your existing rates, terms and penalties, you need to properly read your contract, and only then you’ll be able to accurately compare to other suppliers. Sometimes, it makes more sense financially to stick to your current provider than switch before the end of the contract and have to pay huge penalty fees. However, other times, it may be worth it, so just keep in mind the potential for value when making these comparisons. 

3. What’s The Best Deal?

As mentioned above, lower rates are not the only thing to take into account when you want to switch electric company. You have to also look at the available plans and consider what works best for your household’s usage habits. So, the next step would be trying to calculate the best possible deal. In this stage, you may want to look into the type of billing different providers offer. Some may offer equal billing throughout the year, which may be convenient to you. You can also check for automatic payments discounts and other such things that could sweeten the deal.

Costly contract stipulations are also something to look for. You don’t want to make the switch only to have to deal with unforeseen costs. Check things like the length of commitment, termination fees, incentives, auto-renewal, and more. Obviously, check the price per kilowatt-hour, but also the type of power provided. 

4. Can You Negotiate With Your Current Provider?

Before you commit to switching to a new supplier, you can also ask your current provider for better rates. This is an important step as it can save you any hassle. If you already have a good deal offer from another company, you can call your current one and ask them to match it. Since it’s much easier to retain a customer than to acquire one, companies may be willing to match your offer. 

5. Make The Switch

The last step is to make the actual switch in case your current provider couldn’t match the offer. You can either do that online, or you’ll have to contact the new electricity provider by phone and request to establish service. If you haven’t during your research stage, then ask your new supplier all the questions you want answered now. For instance, even if you checked the price for kWh, you should ask whether this offer is fixed rate, variable or indexed. You should also ask if you pay for energy you don’t use or if there’s a penalty for installing solar in the future. All of these are important aspects to know before you give them final approval. If you have any questions about hour home’s electrical system, then contact us and our licensed electricians will be happy to help.

May 17, 2021 | Cristina Dinulescu

Living in quarantine for the past year and spending more and more time at home has made all of us take a deeper look at our homes. It has also made many people more aware of the extra electricity consumed, whether it was using lights more, doing laundry more often or cooking at home all the time. But you can learn how to save on the electric bill.

One could literally say that keeping the lights on is not cheap, let alone all the other appliances. The Energy Department states that a typical household in the US spends over $2,000 a year on energy bills.  

Most of it goes into heating & cooling, followed by the use of electronics. However, there are many tweaks you can make to your usage so if you want to learn how to save on the electric bill, read on. Some of these tips and tricks can help lower your energy bill with as much as 25%.

1. Get an Energy Audit

There are some utility companies that offer free energy audits to household customers, so check with your provider to see if that’s the case. Even if it’s not, a home energy audit is worth investing in, because it will give you valuable information about any areas where you may save energy.

The energy audit will not only help you identify any additional ways to save on your electric bill, but will also point out areas of concern, such as whether you’re losing energy anywhere or not. 

2. Get Rid of Phantom Loads

Any quick research you do about how to save on electric bill will reveal phantom loads. You might not be aware, but 75% of the energy used by your appliances and electronic devices is used when they’re off. This is called phantom load and it applies to TVs, computers, sound systems, as well as many kitchen appliances. 

In order to get rid of phantom loads or reduce the amount of energy consumed, you can plug all of these appliances and devices into power strips. Then, simply turn off the strips when you’re not using them. 

3. Reduce Heating & Cooling Costs

As mentioned above, heating & cooling bear the biggest percentage when it comes to power usage and energy bills. Therefore, this is one of the best places to start when looking for cost-cutting opportunities. Here are a few things you can do to reduce heating and cooling costs:

• Make sure windows and doors are properly sealed – poorly sealed doors and windows will let energy seep out, which means you’ll use more power to keep a room warm during the winter, or cool during the summer. The same applies to appliances doors, such as your fridge or freezer, which need to be properly sealed in order to keep the cold air in. 
• Fix any ductwork issues – if you have any leaks in heating, ventilation or AC ducts, then your heating and cooling system will not operate efficiently.
• Adjust the thermostat – many people leave the thermostat set at the same temperature all the time, but you can save up to 10% of your yearly costs on heating and cooling by turning it down 10-15 degrees when you’re away from home or during the night. Smart thermostats can be programmed to do this work for you.

4. Fill Up Your Fridge and Freezer 

Keeping your fridge door closed and making sure it’s properly sealed can definitely help save on utility bills. But did you know keeping your fridge and freezer full can also help? This is because food can act as an insulation, therefore it reduces the amount of time that your fridge needs to run in order to stay cool.

Another thing you can do is adjust the temperature in both your fridge and freezer. Ideally, you’d set your refrigerator to 38 degrees, and your freezer between 0 and 5 degrees. It’s enough to keep the food fresh, while also not putting too much strain on the appliances to work in order to maintain the temperature. 

5. Manage Water Properly

After heating and cooling, hot water is another large expense when it comes to energy bills. Cutting back on hot water usage can help you save significantly on energy, and therefore utility bills. Here are a few tips on how to reduce usage or manage hot water properly:

• Trim your shower time: you don’t have to completely rush through your showers, but shaving 2 minutes off can reduce hot water usage by 5 gallons; 

• Use efficient showeheads: replacing your showerhead with an efficient one can also help reduce hot water usage, and quite significantly. Certified products that meet the efficiency criteria can reduce usage by 2,700 gallons per year;

• Fix leaks: if you have faucets that drip, it’s not just an annoyance, it’s also wasteful. It can add up to gallons of water every year;
• Adjust the temperature: the water heaters typically have a default temperature, which is set at 140 degrees. If you lower it to even 120 degrees, you can save up to 10% on heating costs. You can also turn it to minimum if you’re going out of town.

6. Upgrade Your Appliances

Old appliances use more energy and can increase your utility bills. If your fridge, washer or dryer are 10 years old or more, then you should consider replacing them with newer, Energy Star models, as these use significantly less power.

Let’s take a dishwasher, for example. An Energy Star label model uses 3.5 gallons of water or less for every cycle, which is considerably less than older models, which can use more than 10 gallons. If you are thinking of replacing old appliances, start with the ones that you use most often, such as the fridge, HVAC system, water heater, etc.

7. Keep Your Lights in Check

Although lights are not necessarily a big consumer, the energy used can certainly add up if you always keep your lights on, especially if they’re full on. There’s several things you can do to keep your lights in check, such as installing dimmer switches or switching to LEDs. Dimmer switches will allow you to only use as much light as you need, while LED lights use 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs.