The single most effective thing you can do…Do you want to make an impact on your utility bill? Reduce your use of fossil fuels? Cut your “carbon footprint”? Stretch your household budget? Be kind to the ‘aina?
The single most effective thing you can do is to install solar water heating on your home. It will help you accomplish all those goals in a single action.
The biggest energy hog in your home is your water heater. In an all-electric home, it’s probably between 30 to 40 percent of your electric bill. If you use gas, it probably accounts for most, or all, of your gas bill. A solar water heater can provide up to 95 percent of the hot water you need… and on those dark, rainy days, you will still have hot water because you’ll have a back-up element.
Solar water heating is a proven technology. Sure, the collectors have gotten more effective over the years, but the concept behind solar water heating is very simple and doesn’t rely on technological breakthroughs.
With state and federal tax credits and a MECO rebate, you could end up paying only about one-fourth of the market price for a solar water heater. And, if you can finance the solar water heater through your mortgage, the slight increased cost to your monthly mortgage payment is almost certainly going to be less than what you would have paid for your utility bill without the solar system. So, you’ll save money from day one.
Most families installing a properly sized and oriented solar water heating system will see their electricity bills drop by about one-third. Most families will also find that the savings on their utility bills “pays back” the cost of the solar water heater in just a few years, a far more lucrative investment than anything you can find on the stock market… and it just keeps saving for decades!
There’s no doubt about it, solar water heating is the most effective step you can take to save energy and money at home.
In partnership with the state’s energy office, the Maui Weekly provides this feature to help Valley Isle homeowners reduce their utility bills and increase their environmental awareness.