timyee/Getty
ZDNET's key takeaways
Seventy-four percent of households expect their electric bill to go up
Lack of backup power is the top energy frustration
Two-thirds are considering solar or storage investments
Neighborhood solar panels blend into the background of the everyday commute. Home batteries might enter our minds during an outage, but then fade when the power returns. Most people don't think about power and electricity unless they're in the middle of a home project or something breaks.
Others have thought about electrification -- or moving away from fossil fuels -- more seriously, but haven't taken any steps toward an actual installation yet for cost or logistical reasons.
If you've bought a home and had an inspection within the last decade, most likely your service, panel hardware, and wiring are up to code. Power-thirsty systems and appliances are isolated on their own circuits. You plug away (pun intended) with life and don't think much about electricity.
Also: Stop waiting for an emergency to upgrade your home's tech - there's a better way
If this sounds like you, that likely means your power setup is standard, or at CORE level 2 - Operational. Households at the operational level are in the company of tens of millions of others that only concern themselves with home energy when they're forced to.
... continue reading