Whether it’s winter or summer, checking your utility bill can be a shock. Fortunately, there is a way to reduce your costs: the roof solar panels.

According to the Santa Cruz Sentinela new study found that solar panels can save homeowners nearly $700 per year.

In 2021, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory analyzed 500,000 homes in the United States.

According to Sydney Forrester, senior fellow and policy researcher in the lab’s Department of Energy Markets and Policy, the study was “one of the most comprehensive, household-specific national estimates of the impacts of rooftop solar on the energy burden of households.

Numerous testimonies bear witness to these findings. One owner on Reddit was very impressed with his personal savings, sharing“My bill was $0 with solar during the winter, and that’s the time of year when consumption is highest and solar production is lowest.”

In addition to savings, solar panels bring you other benefits, depending on the US Department of Energy. On the one hand, they can increase the value of your home and also help you keep your lights on if the grid spell – improving your climate resilience during extreme weather conditions events, which have become more serious due to global warming temperatures caused by dirty fuel pollution.

Other ways to reduce your utility bills include weatherproofing your home, upgrading to LED bulbs, and washing your clothes in cold water.

As for solar panels, their installation is becoming more affordable than ever thanks to the incentives offered by the Inflation Reduction Act. When you decide to install solar panels, there are many options to sort through, but EnergyWise is a resource that can make things easier.

Free online marketplace tools are like Expedia for solar panels. After answering a few basic questions, it allows you to compare offers to find the best price. EnergySage also connects you with approved contractors and details the discounts and incentives you are eligible for under the IRA. Whichever way you make your decision, one thing is certain: you will be happy with the long-term financial benefits.

If you were to install solar panels in your home, which of these factors would be your main motivation?

Energy independence

Reduce electricity bills

Help the planet

No chance that I will ever go solar

Click on your choice to see the results and express your opinion

President-elect Donald Trump said he intends to “withdraw all unspent funds” from the IRA at some point after he became president. So while it requires congressional approval and it’s too early to predict a possible end date, the benefits might not last much longer.

“When we moved into our house, one of our first big projects was to install solar. Our electric bills were high and we wanted to offset that somehow. By upgrading to solar, we now only have one monthly payment and offset our costs by sending energy back to the grid,” one person. common with cooling. “Solar energy covers our energy use for most of the year, including cooling, electronics, garden equipment, and much more.”

Join our free newsletter for easy-to-use advice save more And waste lessand don’t miss this nice list simple ways to help yourself while helping the planet.