MT. CARMEL, IL (WFIE) -
With the high temperatures we've experienced recently, there's no doubt your air conditioner has been getting a workout.
Tom Dersch in Mt. Carmel, Illinois has found a very effective solution to keep the AC on while keeping costs down.
Dersch says he and his wife, Dorothy, live in a 1900 square foot home, and their average energy bill since spring time has been just $10 a month.
Dersch is the VP of Mt. Carmel-based Dersch Energies Inc., and says he installed a solar panel system on the roof of his house last December. Dersch says he often makes recommendations to clients on how to more efficiently use energy in their homes.
He says that work lead to his own home renovation. He says, so far, the system has generated more energy than his home regularly uses, and he says that energy is stored at the Mt. Carmel Power Plant where he can use it later in future credits.
Dersch says the $10 energy bill includes only a monthly meter charge and state tax. He also says it was easier for him to install this system since he had prior knowledge of the technology, but anyone can hire professionals to do the same on their home. In the long-run, the savings will heavily out-weigh the short-run cost of installation.
"For every $70 that we spend monthly on an electric utility bill, that equates to $50,000 of utility spending, cumulatively, over 30 years. One can invest a lot less than that to receive that type of benefit," Dersch said.
More coming up on this Sunday night, including a look at a Mt. Carmel commercial solar project Dersch installed that he says demonstrates the strength of American ingenuity.
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Dersch says he and his wife, Dorothy, live in a 1900 square foot home, and their average energy bill since spring time has been just $10 a month.
