• Lower the temperature on your water heater to the warm setting (120°F).
• Set your fridge to 38-42°F and your freezer to 0-5°F.
• Lower blinds to avoid excess heating during the summer. Open blinds on sunny days during the winter to add heat.
• Adjust your thermostat a few degrees higher in the summer (78-80°F) and a few degrees lower in the winter (68-70°F). When you are asleep or away from home, set your thermostat 7-10°F higher in the summer and lower in the winter. You can save 10% on your heating and cooling costs a year if done 8 hours a day.
• Don’t let phantom loads drain your wallet! Some devices use power whenever they are plugged in, even if they’re turned off or not being used. Unplug devices that aren’t in use, or plug devices into a power strip that can be switched off. These changes can save up to 12% off your electricity bill each year.

Electric vehicles have been growing in popularity over the last few years. Advances in technology, falling prices, the availability of tax incentives, and the quickly growing charging infrastructure have combined to make owning an electric vehicle an increasingly popular choice. This is good news for the people who live along the Wasatch Front and want to actively contribute to cleaner air. Vehicle emissions contribute to nearly half of all criteria air pollutants (the most harmful types of air pollution) in Utah, and by transitioning to electric vehicles we can reduce emissions immediately.

Electric vehicles aren’t just about air quality and environmental benefits: they are also a source of potential cost savings. On average, it costs about half as much to charge an electric vehicle compared to buying gasoline for a traditional vehicle. Electric vehicles have far fewer moving parts, and operate at much lower temeratures than gasoline vehicles resulting in reduced maintenance.

There are two types of electric vehicles:

Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles have both an electric motor with a rechargeable battery and an internal combustion engine. A Plug-In Hybrid can be charged by plugging into an outlet.  You can drive a limited distance using only the electric motor, and when the battery runs low the combustion engine kicks in to take you wherever you need to go.

All-Electric Vehicles have only an electric motor and a rechargeable battery and run exclusively on electricity. All-Electric vehicles are charged by plugging into an outlet and can regain some charge while driving through regenerative braking systems. All-Electric vehicles never produce tailpipe emissions, and are the perfect choice to immediately cut your pollution emissions. The average American drives about 30 miles per day, and 80% of all trips are 40 miles or less. Most All-Electric vehicles have a range of 80 miles or greater!

The range capability of new electric vehicles is rising, and growing charging infrastructure makes it easy to recharge on the go. In fact, “fast charge” charging stations can charge an EV battery to 80% in just 30 minutes! You can view a comprehensive map of charging stations in Utah (and nationwide) at the PlugShare website. 

There are Federal tax incentives which provide additional savings towards the up front cost of purchasing or leasing a new electric vehicle. The Federal incentive can be as high as $7,500 (depending on your choice of vehicle), in addition to the discount offered by Live Electric. 

Learn more about electric vehicles from the U.S. Department of Energy.