Americans are under severe budget crunches today. Our costs of living are increasing at dangerous, and most of our wages are not climbing to meet the needs of our daily lives. No factor in our cost of living is more taxing than the costs of heating and electric. In fact, most people do not realize that the average American household spends 40% of its energy bills on home and water heating needs. And, with the current and future hikes in fuel costs, this percentage could climb dramatically higher in the coming years.

While there are certain luxuries that we can do without, and so save money on our monthly and annual bills, home heating and hot water are necessities, and regardless of how high the cost gets, we must continue to pay for these services for our own safety, comfort, and well-being. There is, however, a solution that is affordable, efficient, clean, and cost-effective.

The power of the sun has been used to heat water since the dawn of man. Today, however, we have more efficient means of water heating through the power of the sun than ever before in the history of man – Solar Thermal Collectors.

Today, with an investment of only a few thousand dollars, the average American household can reduce their home and water heating costs by 65 – 80% by purchasing and installing these Solar Hot Thermal Collectors on their own home. The best part, these collectors can be used for domestic hot water heating – this is the water that we used every day for showers, laundry, grooming, and washing dishes, but it can also be used in a radiant floor or baseboard heating system to provide space heating to part or all of your home.

There are two main types of Solar Thermal Collectors available on the market today. They are:

1. Flat Plate Solar Collectors – these collectors are low cost and efficient. In warmer climates, and southern locations where freezing temperatures are rare occurrences and the angle of the sun remains relatively high in the sky all year round.

2. Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors – these collectors are more expensive, initially, than Flat Plate Collectors, but they are extremely freeze resistant, and their unique 360 degree collector design makes them extremely efficient in overcast, cold weather, and locations where the sun is at extremely low angles during the fall, winter and spring months.

Solar Water Heaters and Home Heating Systems are an investment in your future, and protection against the future increases in the costs of fuel oil, natural gas, coal, and electric heating. Once the system is purchased and installed, the impact on your energy bills is almost immediate and noticeable on your first electric or heating bill thereafter.

Through these energy savings, a Solar Water Heater completely pay for itself in as little as 3 to 5 years. Once the system has completely paid for itself (the Payback Period) it will continue to save your money year after year – Solar Hot Water users save thousands of dollars over the lifetime of their systems, which is generally 25 to 30 years. Even better, today’s Federal and State Incentives and Credits for the installation of Solar Energy Technology can offset a major portion of the initial cost of your Solar Heater, and dramatically shorten the payback period to just 1 to 3 years.