Energy Conservation for Southern Homes

Energy Conservation for Southern Homes

Energy conservation for southern homes is often higher than in other parts of the country. Why is that? Historically, our area has relied on energy sources that were plentiful, and policies and plans were instituted that kept electric rates low. So while energy bills were relatively low compared to many other states, South Carolinians and North Carolinians in fact tended to use more energy. For a long time this didn’t matter much to family budgets, but that’s no longer the case.

As the energy landscape undergoes changes and rates increase, residents will notice the consequences of using larger amounts of energy. Necessary moves like coal-ash clean up, investments in grid enhancement, and costly new power plants mean proposals for increased utility rates. As regulators approve these proposals customers will notice that even as their energy use remains the same they’ll soon be paying more. Where using a multitude of devices and appliances and cranking the heat or air-conditioning used not to be a big deal to household expenses, that can change unexpectedly. Put another way, when utility rate hikes happen, southern utility customers have options to take charge of their own energy management.

There are solutions and they’re simple. Energy experts can perform an assessment of your home and may recommend:

• Adding more attic insulation
• Tuning up your HVAC system
• Servicing your heat pump
• Considering efficient light bulb and energy efficient appliance upgrades for your kitchen and for entertainment
• Surge protectors that automatically shut off devices programmed to stay in “standby” mode
• Reconsidering your second fridge or deep-freezer – do you actually feel like it’s still valuable to you?
• A consultation for solar power and potentially also energy storage to enhance your energy autonomy

By getting ambitious about prioritizing energy efficiency and cutting the energy a home consumes, investing in solar to own your energy source and dramatically reduce reliance on energy from the grid, or both, the power to overcome rate increases and still save money is within your reach. Whether pursuing conservation, rooftop solar installation, energy storage, or a combination, you can outsmart rate increases and help make your community more resilient and greener.

Frequently Asked Questions About Solar for Your Home: