Location, location, location. Many factors in your quality of life are affected by where you choose to live, including your energy costs. Wallet Hub recently released a report that surveyed the average energy costs, including electricity, in all 50 states. Read on to learn more about where your state falls in the rankings.

What Affects Electricity Rates?

A number of factors play into the price of electricity in a given state or region – the proximity of energy production and fuel sources, federal or state incentives, taxes, and the local competition in the energy market can all affect the final price.

The gap between the cheapest and most expensive states can be surprisingly large – electricity in Hawaii, the most expensive state, costs four times as much per unit as it does in Washington D.C., an electrician's paradise with the lowest price for power. Joining Washington D.C. among the cheapest electricity states are North Dakota, Idaho, Louisiana and West Virginia, while Vermont, Connecticut, Alaska and New York round out the most expensive five after Hawaii.

Adding Consumption to the Mix

Of course, there's more to your utility costs than just the base sticker price. How much electricity you consume plays a role as well. Those homeowners paying sky-high prices in Hawaii, for example, also use the least electricity per household in the entire United States. Residents in Louisiana, on the other hand, use the most electricity per household, thanks to sweltering hot weather that goes hand-in-hand with significant reliance on electric air conditioning.

Given the combination of price and consumption, people living in Washington, D.C. spend the least amount on electricity, forking over an average of $79 per month, followed by residents of Illinois, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. Despite their low consumption levels, people in Hawaii still get the highest bills, at an average of $179 per month. Residents of Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and Florida join them in the top five for overall electricity spending.

Let the Electricians Guide You to Lower Bills

The report also includes interviews with energy experts on how to save money on utility bills, as well as the impact of tax deductions, credits and energy assistance for low-income households in the utility market.

“Consider calling your utility company and asking if they offer any services to help you identify ways to be more efficient in your home,” Sanya Carley, associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, suggests. “Many utilities offer such services for free, and will send someone to your house to prepare a formal or informal audit for you.”

To see the full list and find out where your state ranks when it comes to electricity and other household energy costs, check out the WalletHub report here. If you need tips on how to conserve electricity to reduce your utility bills no matter what the sticker price of energy is in your state, contact an expert electrician today.

Electric vehicles are one of the hottest new trends in the automotive industry. The idea is very appealing—According to ChargePoint, EV drivers save over 2.4 million gallons of gas annually and this will most likely only grow as popularity continues to increase. Going green is a very admirable goal. If you have considered the idea of an electric vehicle, one of the most common Los Angeles electrical questions you may have is how you go about keeping your car charged when you are on the go in day –to-day life. Utilizing your home’s electricity properly as well as visiting charging stations, such as those by ChargePoint will keep your EV going strong.

When it comes to charging at home, it is important to save money when at all possible while charging. You may want to contact an electrician in Los Angeles, from The Electric Connection, to see if your plug-ins, wiring and other equipment is up to par and will properly charge your electric vehicle. Then, it is important that you check with your electric company and see if there are any ways to save money by charging at certain off-peak hours. You may find that by changing your electric plan, you can save a significant sum on your electricity bill.

Charging on the go is becoming easier as more electric vehicle chargers are now available. For instance, in New York, there are currently 800 charging stations, and plans are to grow this to 3,000 over the next five years.

There are so many benefits to choosing an EV. In California, you may be able to drive in the HOV lane, even when driving alone. Spend some time researching and talk to an expert on electricity matters, such as The Electric Connection, and decide if it is time for you to jump board with the electronic vehicle trend.

A home theatre system is the corner stone for any man cave. With the huge TV and massive speakers, it can make any movie seem like a reality. But to get that home theatre system perfect it requires organization and the right tools.An Expert Electrician can help get your home theatre system setup just the way you like it.

Home theatre systems can use a lot of power. When you have everything plugged in (the television, speakers, blu-ray player, gaming system) there is a lot of power that is required to keep it all going. Sometimes it is not as simple as plugging into the wall outlet and turning it all on. You want to ensure that the outlet is strong enough and the wires behind the wall can support the load. If your overload your outlet you could cause damage to your new electronics and home electrical system. Similarly, if you have too much load on a circuit, you could be risking electrical problems that could damage anything on that circuit or cause constant tripping in your breaker. When you have all your equipment prepared, have an expert electrician assess the output that the circuit and outlet will need. We can make the necessary upgrades to get you going.

One thing we have been encouraging everyone with lately is to have a surge protector on your appliances and electronics. There is no exception here. You have a lot invested in your home theatre system, so using surge protectors will add a barrier of safety to your expensive devices. Whether it is a power bar or a home surge protector, it is worth the investment.

One sign of a properly setup theatre system is the absence of visible cables. There can be several cables connected from one device to the next. This makes an eyesore if it is not properly sorted. When you have your equipment and the necessary wires, make a plan of where you would like everything to go. If you have difficulty mapping out your wires, call in the experts. We will help create a plan of action to place each and every wire. Keeping the wires organized and out of sight will make the system not only aesthetically pleasing, but also much easier to switch out and upgrade in the future.

It can be complicated setting up a home theatre system, but if you are organized and have a plan you will end up with an area all your friends will be jealous of.

By Blake Daniel, Franchisee of Mr. Electric of West Fort Worth

Whether it’s due to thunderstorms in the spring, ice storms in the winter, or blazing heat and power distribution regulation in the summer, the electricity supplied to your home can be unstable at times. This makes your home vulnerable to power surges.

Preventing power surge damage has traditionally been left to the consumer to guess what to do. Do you buy numerous surge protectors and power strips? Do you spend time running around the house during a lightning storm unplugging everything in sight, while putting yourself at risk for electrical shock? Or, do you rely on your homeowner’s insurance policy to cover any power surge losses that may occur?

Now there is no need to worry, you can protect your investments by preventing power surge damage with a Whole House Panel Surge Protector, the heart of industrial protection for your home. There are features not seen in the marketplace until now, creating a main zone of protection and acts as your first line of defense while stopping power surges before they can enter the house through the transmission lines.

As the main line of defense, a Whole House Panel Surge Protector prevents high-energy power surges from ever entering into your home and protects your electrical panel, motor-driven, and other AC-powered appliances in your home against power surge damage.

While this is not a one-unit, full coverage surge protector, as there are many ways in which you can receive a surge, you can be confident that your electrical panel and most electrical items in your house are covered. If you would like more information on how to protect your house from power surges, ask your local Mr. Electric service professional.