If your electric bill is getting beyond your budget, there are things you can do to lower the cost. While you can always reduce the amount of electricity you use, a better solution may be to do some electrical rewiring. This is especially true for older homes that may have outdating wiring which is consuming far more electricity than you might suspect.
Is Electrical Rewiring Right for Your Home?
Generally speaking, the older the residence, the more likely it is that the wiring is out of date. This means that when it was designed, many of the appliances and devices you use today where either not around back then or use more electricity. Plus, the average number of electrical devices in each home has grown considerably just in the past few decades.
Add to this the general degradation of electrical wiring which is not only sapping power away from your devices, it is putting your home at risk for fire. Whether you plan on selling your home or not, it pays to have it inspected if the wiring is quite old. What follows are some signs that your home may need to be rewired:
- Outlets that are burned or charred
- Lights that flicker
- Circuit boards that trip frequently
- Wires that are damaged
In addition, you may sense a burning smell of plastic or vinyl that is being heated. Sometimes, a sizzling sound accompanies the smell. If so, then you probably have an electrical issue in your home.
What to Do?
The first step should be to have an electrician come to your home and inspect the wiring. While there will be a fee, they may find something that either may prevent a fire from occurring or save you money on your electrical bill. In terms of the latter, there are a couple of things that you can do.
Update the Electrical Panel: This is the easier of the two options as the panel is easily accessible and in one or two places in your home. Updating is recommended if your home is pulling more electricity that the current panel is designed to deliver.
If you are going to rewire your home, updating the panel is the first step. It’s not a cheap step as it may cost upwards of a few thousand dollars, but in the long run it will save you money on your electrical bill. Plus, it can be updated to work both for today and tomorrow.
Rewiring Your Home: If your residence has faulty wiring, then it will need to be replaced. For the most part, homes that are around a half-century old or older need to have their wiring replaced. This can be an expensive proposition that may cost upwards of $10,000 to $15,000. However, as expensive as that may be, a proper rewiring can help prevent certain electrical fires from happening.
If you want to reduce your electrical bill, then you may want to engage in some electrical rewiring. Be sure to follow the recommendations of a qualified electrician before you make the choice.
Contact Luxus Construction to get started. Please call 310-270-8596 for more information.