As summer temperatures spike, so do the electric bills of many Minnesotans. Running your AC or heat pump, your pool, your garage fridge, or your business can get expensive! But, installing a solar energy system can lower your electric bill while also providing renewable energy to power your summer electric essentials. A solar energy system can also help you avoid forecasted electric rate increases. Let’s take a closer look at how a solar energy system can offer relief from your high summer electric bill.
Keeping Cool Adds Up on Your Electric Bill
We’re not saying you shouldn’t run your AC or or pool or fridge, because with average summer temperatures on the rise, cooling your home or business is important for comfort and health. But the hard truth is that air conditioning units, heat pumps, and other appliances require a lot of electricity to operate, even the most efficient ones. And, if a unit is old and inefficient, or your home or business is poorly insulated, cooling in the summer will increase your electric bill even further. It’s no wonder that turning your thermostat to “Cool” in the summer causes your electric bill to spike.
According to the U.S Energy Information Administration, air conditioning is one of the largest uses of electricity in the United States, accounting for about 19% of electricity use in homes (254 billion kWh), and about 14% in commercial buildings (170 billion kWh). Cooling our living quarters and working spaces is costing billions of dollars for American consumers and business owners every year, and it’s contributing to carbon dioxide emissions.
Electric Rates Forecast to Increase Nationally
The average retail price of electricity in the United States has increased steadily since 1990. In 2023, electricity cost an average of 12.72 cents per kWh, which was the highest rate in the last 33 years. As electricity demands increase, utility companies have to increase their capacity to meet the need, which requires investment. And of course, the utilities pass the costs of these investments onto their customers.
Go Solar and Save on Your Electric Bill
However, paying more on your electric bill isn’t an inevitability. A home solar energy system can reduce your reliance on the grid and lower your electric bill, even when you turn on the summer essentials.
When you go solar, not only do you save money on your energy bills, in most cases, you can actually make money. Net metering programs allow you to send extra energy your system generates back to the grid. Your utility company pays for this energy in credits that you can apply to your future electricity bills.
The bottom line? You can reduce or potentially eliminate your utility bill, even when you crank your AC or cool off in the pool, offsetting your initial investment. And, unlike fossil fuels, solar doesn’t produce harmful emissions or contribute to air pollution, reducing your carbon footprint and helping combat climate change.
You can learn more about how you can reduce your electricity bill with solar in one of our previous blog articles.
Ready to leave the summer electric bill blues behind? Get in touch with the experts at TruNorth Solar today for a free estimate on your potential solar energy system.
