This winter, Massachusetts residents will be paying significantly higher electric bills as the cost of buying electricity from power plants has soared to the highest level in decades. National Grid, which provides electricity to about 1.3 million residential and businesses customers in the state, announced that it will increase its rate by 37 percent over last winter’s. NStar and other utilities are also warning customers to be prepared for higher electric bills.
The Boston Globe reports that the average household in Massachusetts uses about 630 kilowatts of electricity a month, and with National Grid’s new winter rate of 24.24 cents per kilowatt-hour, a typical monthly bill could run more than $150.
The rising cost of electricity is another reason it’s critical for property managers to update outdated lighting systems, which can waste excessive energy and increase the electric bill. LED lighting already provides a quick return on investment for those looking to conserve energy. The 37% price increase stated by National Grid will accelerate this return on investment.
Access Fixtures recently announced that LEDs, such as those used in LED high bay luminaires, now achieve 140 lumens per watt, exceeding the highest linear fluorescent efficacy. Improvements in LED technology have made LED an obvious choice when wanting to save energy.
Click here to view a Cost-Per-Watt chart and calculate what you are spending per watt, and what you can save by reducing watts. Contact an Access Fixtures lighting specialist to find an energy-efficient solution for your lighting project.