Electricity Prices Are the Lowest This Year

This past cold winter caused electricity rates to skyrocket and they remained high well into 2014. Usually these rates moderate during the spring and remain low through the early fall. However this year, prices stayed high during the spring and they are just now starting to moderate in July. Almost every day in July has seen lower prices.

Two main factors that cause prices to rise and fall are: 1. the price of natural gas and 2. geopolitical unrest.

Natural gas prices typically go up each winter and geopolitical unrest can happen anytime. The typical scenario is that electricity prices go up in the winter when natural gas prices rise and come down in the late spring and summer, when natural gas prices fall. This year the combination of high natural gas prices remaining well into the spring with the unrest in the Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, electricity prices continued at high prices into the early summer.

Now that prices are coming down, it is time to examine your electricity bill and your term commitment. If your contract expires in the next 120 days, you should be able to shop around and sign a new contract with a provider that can lower your cost of electricity each month.

You should look for electricity rates for the energy itself at or below.060 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). This is the deregulated or competitive part of your electric bill. The other part of your electricity bill is the delivery part, which encompasses reading your electric meter and delivering the electricity to your home or business. This part is the regulated part of your bill and it is not subject to competitive pricing. There are also associated taxes and fees included here.

All in, you should strive to keep your total electricity costs below 10.0 cents per kWh. When you find that prices are extremely low, you should select the longer term contracts, 24 or 36 months. If you are not sure about the current prices, then you should select the shorter term contracts, 6 or 12 months.

In any event, you should take a look at your electric bill and determine how much you are currently paying per kWh and how long is your term contract. If you are paying in the 12 to 16 cents per kWh, you are paying too much. Once you have determined when your contract ends, you should actively shop prices and lock in a low rate.

In the future, keep tabs on the prices of electricity and the time your contract expires. This will prepare you to be ready to keep your electric bills at the lowest rates possible.

What we Inspect Home Inspection

Home Inspection

Whether you are buying or selling your home, West Coast Home Inspection can provide an easy mind and assist you an effortless transaction with the other party. West Coast has been serving the County areas for over 10 years and has countless inspections under their belt. Our home inspections include everything from the top to the bottom including: Roofing, Foundation, Electrical, Plumbing and more! We have been trusted by our home owners and seekers with home inspections due to our commitment to kind, courteous service and thorough reports that tell you exactly what's going on in your home.

Home Inspector: It's crucial to find a home inspector in  that you can have confidence. Picking the best  Home Inspection company does not come without it's possible pitfalls. Here are some tips about how you can be sure you're choosing the best home inspector to handle your affairs.

•     First, never hire an inspector who provides repairs along with his or her home inspection report. This is a big conflict of interest and could leave you paying out more money than you actually need to for your home inspection of your  property or home.

•     Secondly, be absolutely certain you're hiring an established inspector with many inspections under their belt. Many inspectors are brand new out of training and certification and they don't necessarily know the ins and outs of every home they inspect especially if the inspector has never apprenticed anyone in the past.

What we Inspect in your home

At West Coast, our inspectors analyze over 400 items and work meticulously to identify the possible problems of the home. We leave no stone unturned in our home inspection process. When our home inspectors are finished with your home, we prepare a report specifically tailored with the details of our home inspection purchase.

New construction home inspections in are carried out upon the fininshing of the home, but just before one last walkthrough using the builder's customer support representative or agent. It is usually smart to verify that utilities (gas, water and electric) happen to be switched on, either on your part or even the builder with respect to the constructor's policy. The home inspection ought to be scheduled just a couple of days before you decide to final walkthrough using the builder. This can make sure that most, if not completely, last second products happen to be completed just before your inspection. Following the inspection West Coast in Los Angeles, a completed report is going to be given to you. It is wise to keep your home inspection on file.

Improving HVAC Performance in Your Home

HVAC Heater

Whether it's the middle of winter or the middle of summer, you probably want to keep outdoor temperatures at bay. Of course, maintaining a comfortable climate inside your home or business requires energy, and it also requires powerful HVAC equipment that is ideally suited for your property. No matter where you live, you'll face months where you pay high rates on energy bills. In some cases, you may find yourself paying high amounts all year long. Fortunately, there are ways you can invest in your property to improve energy efficiency and the performance of your heating and cooling equipment.

It all starts with the HVAC appliances themselves. You'll want appliances that are powerful enough to effectively heat or cool your entire property. Wear and tear is normal on heating and cooling equipment, so you'll need to keep an eye on them to ensure they're working at an optimal level. If you've noticed a significant drop off in the effectiveness of your heater or AC, it's time to call a technician to have your appliance serviced. In addition, you should have the ducts in your property cleaned regularly improve efficiency and the quality of air in your home. Of course, it's also essential to change air filters on a regular basis. An inefficient appliance will cost you money unnecessarily, so consider the investment in tuning up your heater or AC a worthy one.

If your house is poorly insulated, you'll have a very hard time maintaining a comfortable temperature. In fact, during particularly hot or cold months, you may be unable to reach a desired temperature at all. When you invest in insulating your floors, walls, and attic, it can have a big impact on the effectiveness of your HVAC systems. Even if your house has old insulation, it may be a good idea to replace it with newer, more advanced materials that are well rated. Improving insulation will save you money for years to come, and it will even increase your property's value. A lot of air can travel through windows and doorways as well. Use doorstops and caulk to get rid of leaks at thresholds, and consider investing in double-paned and treated glass to make your windows more efficient.

When you've invested in your property to reduce your energy consumption, you'll be amazed at the results that show up monthly on your HVAC bill. While the cost of investing in insulation or you think that an upgraded heating and cooling system may seem steep now, you'll experience the benefits for years to come. In addition, your home will be much, much greener when you invest in quality building materials. As you can see, there are several benefits to reducing the amount of energy you consume.