As the cost of living seems to steadily increase, households all over the world are looking into ways to reduce their monthly expenses. Some families have started cooking at home more instead of eating out as often as they used to. Some people made the decision to “cut the cord” and stream their television. And others ended monthly memberships that they never use…
All those money-saving hacks are great ways to cut your monthly expenses in half, but a lot of the money you spend every month goes toward your electric bill… If you can figure out how to save on that particular bill, that’s when you’ll really start to see real savings on your monthly expenses.
Fortunately, saving on your electric bill every month is very possible. And it doesn’t include being miserably hot during the summer months or freezing in the winter… The key to saving on your monthly electric bill is all about switching to renewable energy.
Switching to renewable energy is not only going to reduce your monthly electric bill but it also plays a crucial role in protecting the environment against the harmful impacts of climate change. According to resilience.org, in order for the United States to truly benefit from the use of renewable energy, the US would have to reduce its overall energy usage by at least three-quarters or more!
This effort wouldn’t be hard to attain but it starts with people getting more education on the matter. If the world would make the switch not only would the world be better off but people wouldn’t have to resort to uncomfortable measures like sitting on your couch wearing your swimsuit to keep cool or wearing three sweatshirts to stay warm.
If you’re serious about making the switch to renewable energy, that’s wonderful news! Your switching is going to impact the world in a major way! But before you do, there are some things you need to know beforehand, and it’s more so what not to do. In transitioning from traditional fossil fuels to renewable energy here are some mistakes you want to avoid in your efforts.
Avoid These Common Mistakes in Switching to Renewable Energy
Having Unrealistic Expectations About Renewable Energy
The biggest misconception people have about “making the switch” to renewable energy is that they’ll see immediate savings on their electric bill as soon as they have their system in place, and that’s just an unrealistic expectation to have.
The impact of renewable energy on our bill isn’t going to just happen overnight, nor is it going to happen without some environmentally-friendly efforts on your part too. There are several factors that play a part in how your electric bill will look after switching to renewable energy.
For example, the amount of energy you use and the type of renewable energy system you have in place all play a role in what your monthly energy bill will look like. What people don’t realize is that there are quite a few ways to generate electricity through renewable energy sources; Solar energy is not the only source.
Outside of solar energy, you also have the following ways to generate renewable energy:
- Wind
- Biomass (energy generated from waste)
- Hydro
People forget about these energy sources but they’re just as effective and impactful as solar energy.
Not Taking Advantage of Third-Party Suppliers in Your Area
People tend to think that renewable energy is only for people who can have solar panels installed on their homes, and that’s not the case. Residential and commercial locations now have the option of getting electricity from third-party suppliers.
The sole purpose of third-party energy suppliers is to provide residents with an unbundled supply of energy as an alternative form of traditional electricity. With third-party suppliers, you get to enjoy the benefit of a fixed-rate energy plan, meaning customers agree on a rate for a specific duration of time, regardless of what the current market price for electricity is.
Failing to Get Quotes From Multiple Companies
Any time you’re looking to get services of any sort, you want to always make sure you’re getting quotes from multiple companies, but especially so when looking to switch to renewable energy. The installation of your renewable energy source is what you need to do your research on.
If you’re having solar panels installed on the roof of your home, you need to make sure you check the prices of multiple solar panel companies in your area. This is going to ensure you’re not paying too much, or even too little for your service.
Remember, cheaper isn’t always the best option, and you truly will get what you paid for. In that same token, more expensive doesn’t always mean high-quality either. This is why you just have to take the time out to do your research.
