Heating preparations especially if you live in a colder climate can make a major dent in reducing your electric bill and save you a lot of money over the years. Since the average elctric costs for heating and cooling your home is the largest part of your electric bill (37.5% average) lets address this as a first step so you can start saving money fast.

Whenever there is a difference of 3 degrees farenheight in temperatures between the inside of your home and the outside or exposed to outside such as attics and porches the warmer of the two areas will be drawn to the cooler area. See Diagram Below

So if it is 50 degrees on the outside and you have the thermostat set at 60 degrees the heat from the inside the area you are heating will start finding any way it can to make its' way outside. There can be many very small points of entry, that when added up will equate to a large amount of wasted energy.

Heating preparations addresses heat loss or waste. So if there are ways to prevent it from being lost it makes sense to handle it before installing solar electric. Why because the two basic factors of solar electric is having the space (usually on your roof) to accomodate all the panels you will need to provide you with all of you electrical needs any time of day or night year round.

By lowering your requirements for electricity you will need fewer solar electric panels and that will save you money. So lets start with heat escaping from your living space. As you can see from the diagram and also in the videos below some basic ways to seel the leaks.

Along with the electrical switch plate, electrical receptacles, cracks around windows, weather stripping around doors,behind the floor trim, where the ceiling meets the wall on walls that are exposed on one side to the outside,air vents, and air ducts themselves. These must be looked at and addressed properly. Sometimes replacing old air ducts with the new insulated and sealed with a radiant barrier can make a worthwhile difference.

Radiant barrier can play the part of not only saving you on heat loss but also cooling loss in warmer weather and provide that extra comfort level year round, while saving on your electrical use.