Over the course of the last year, with many people being out of work or struggling to make ends meet, many are thinking about things that they can do to cut back on expenses without having to make too many sacrifices. While you could go through and cancel your subscriptions to streaming services or order less takeout, one thing that you can do to save money is to lower your electricity bill. The amount of electricity we consume on a monthly basis is quite high, and all of us here at West Coast Solar understand this quite well.

At West Coast Solar, we provide home and business owners in Northern California top-quality solar power installation services and beyond. We are experts when it comes to solar energy, we pride ourselves on being able to provide you with the best products and services in the region, aiming to be the best solar company in California. If you wish to learn more about our solar power installation services, get in touch with us today.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at a few ways that you can reduce your electricity bill each month, helping you save money and also be more environmentally friendly. Let’s go!

Invest in an Energy-Efficient Power Strip

While power strips have traditionally proven to be a convenient way for us to run multiple things into a single power source, in the last few years we’ve seen power strips evolve into things that can help with energy consumption as well. A smart power strip can actually help in this regard, as it automatically turns off electricity to things when they are not in use. When it senses that an item or items are not in use, it turns off power to them, making it so that it doesn’t draw any power while not being used. This is perfect for your TV or home theater setup that has multiple items plugged in at all times.

Add Extra Insulation To Your Home

You set the thermostat in your home at a specific spot in relation to how much heat your home can retain. The amount of heat that your home retains has a lot to do with the amount of insulation in your home, and homes with more insulation stay warmer for longer periods of time, requiring less heat. Adding extra insulation to your home can help make it more comfortable in terms of its temperature, meaning that you can run the thermostat at a lower temperature and save money on your electricity bill every month, especially during those colder months.

Wash Your Clothes in Cold Water

Did you know that a majority of the energy that goes into washing clothes goes into heating the water in your washing machine? It’s true, and while some people believe that washing your clothes in hot water is better than cold or warm water, but this isn’t always true. Not only can hot water cause your clothes to shrink, but it can also cause your colors to bleed into one another. Washing your clothes in cold water also puts less stress on your clothes which makes them last longer, so that favorite pair of jeans or that perfect vintage tee shirt can live a longer life while still remaining fresh and clean with every laundering. While you may still need to use hot water to wash certain things for sanitary purposes, having the cold cycle be your default setting for laundry will help you consume less energy each month.

Convert To Solar Power

Perhaps you’ve heard this be used as one of the main reasons that people are choosing to switch over to solar power, but it’s the truth — converting to solar power will reduce your energy bill. By how much exactly is entirely a case by case basis, but in sunny California, the savings can be considerable, and over the lifespan of solar panels (roughly 20-30 years), you can save thousands. Environmentally friendly and saves you money? It’s true, and once you’ve got your solar panels installed, they require far less upkeep than gas and electric heating systems.

Those are just a few examples of things that you can do to reduce your monthly power consumption. While all effective, perhaps the most effective and environmentally friendly way to do this is to make the switch to solar energy. If you live in Northern California and have been considering making the switch for your home or business, West Coast Solar is here to provide you with the outstanding service and optimum-grade products that you deserve. Whether you’ve recently been considering solar power or if doing so is something that you’ve had on your mind for a few years, we are here to help you make one of the most environmentally friendly choices that you can make, all the while saving you money. To learn more about our Northern California solar power installation services or to request a free quote, contact us today.