When you live in a home with functioning energy utilities for long enough, it’s easy enough to take it for granted, like so many other things. If you’re moving to a new-build home, then you need to make sure that all the utilities are turned on and functioning. Moving in is stressful enough without having to go without power! Here’s your guide to making sure your utilities are there for you.
First of all, electricity. A few decades ago, every region in the country had its own specific electric company. If you wanted to live in this or that area, then you had to buy from this or that company. Thanks to gradual deregulation though, you’ll probably have several different ones to choose from. A house that’s been in the area will probably be all connected up to an existing service. If you’re not that fussy, you can have it turned on with a simple call to the utilities company. If it’s a new build home though, you’ll probably need to look into some nearby utility locating services. When you’re in the process, it’s worth asking the electric company you settle on about different billing plans. Budget billing will spread the costs out evenly over the year. This can be a big help if your bills are likely to go up and down in different seasons. If you’re building a new house though, your electrical contractor or residential electrician will have to create an electrical design and connect all the wires in the house before the utility company can power up your house (learn more about it here). If this is the case and you need electrical installation services, consider hiring a licensed electrician so that you’ll be assured of a quality work.
Like a lot of people, you might be pretty concerned for the state of the environment, and the way it’s all going. Moving to a new-build home may be the perfect opportunity to heal the world by going off the grid completely. If you have the financial resources, you could set up a small wind turbine or a grid of solar panels to get you the power you need. After a pretty substantial payment, you won’t have to worry about getting energy to your home indefinitely. In the long run, you’ll be able to save a lot of money. You may even be able to make generate some revenue by selling electricity to businesses.
Perhaps you’re discounting connecting your home to local electricity sources, and want to go with the cheaper option of natural gas. Using this to heat your home, cook, dry your clothes and so on can save you a lot of money compared to electricity. Depending on the age of your house, it might come with an oil burner already installed. This means that you may need both gas and oil to keep your home liveable. Just like with electricity, a gradual process of deregulation means that you’ll have a few choices when it comes to the gas/burner service you pick. Again, it’s worth asking around for different payment options. You may want to take the burner out and replace it with a fuel-efficient model. These cost more than some cars, but the long-term savings may be worth it.
If you were stressed over getting power to your home, I hope this post has helped. It may take some hassle, but I’m sure you’ll agree that having power is worth it!