Compare Electricity Rates by State | EliteFixtures

October 13, 2017October 13, 2017 admin Leave a comment

Compare electricity rates by state to see which states have the cheapest and most expensive electricity rates. Click here to see the energy rates comparison!

Electricity Rates Comparison across the United States

Compare residential electricity rates by state across the U.S.

Compare commercial electricity rates by state across the U.S.

Alaska and Hawaii have the most expensive residential electricity rates among states.

Alaska and Hawaii have the most expensive commercial electricity rates among states.

Nevada and Tennessee have the cheapest residential electricity rates among states.

Nevada and Virginia have the cheapest commercial electricity rates among states.

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It seems everyone would agree in saying that it’s not a lot of fun when the electricity bill comes in every month. Americans, on average, are spending over $100 a month on their residential electric bills. That’s a pretty decent check to write every month. And then, business owners are of course having to pay their bills. But how much are the rates per state?

At Elite Fixtures, we were interested in finding out the average cost of electricity for both throughout the country for both commercial and residential. By using government data, we were able to take thousands of different rates based on zip codes and find the average cost per state.

Check out some of our findings below:

It wasn’t much of a surprise to see that Hawaii and Alaska came in as the top two most expensive states for electricity for both rates. They’re known for being expensive for most things. What was interesting to see is that Vermont had the third highest rate for commercial and residential. The reasons for their high rates are complicated, but some of it is that New England doesn’t have the fuels needed to generate their own electricity. While Vermont may have high rates, they typically have lower-than-average bills, meaning they don’t use that much energy compared to the rest of the country.

When it came to the lowest rates in the country, Nevada was the cheapest in the country for both commercial and residential electricity. In fact, utility company Nevada Power isn’t planning a residential rate increase for another three years. For now, it seems that many residents will continue to enjoy their low rates.

When looking at other states that had low rates, there were some differences and similarities when comparing commercial or residential. Nevada, Washington, and Oregon were all in the lowest five rates for both commercial and residential. However, some states, like Michigan in particular, has one of the lowest commercial rate and a significantly higher residential rate. Kentucky, on the other hand, had a very low residential rate but a higher commercial rate.

Electricity bills are an expense that while necessary, isn’t an enjoyable one to pay. However, what you pay can vary depending on where you live. States without access to sources of energy often have to pay more in electricity, while states who have it readily available might pay less. As alternative sources of energy continue to grow and become more popular, it will be interesting to see how these rates change in the future.

Elite Fixtures' Sustainability Scholarship

$1,000 Eco-Friendly Sustainability Scholarship

March 22, 2017March 22, 2017 Jeff Leave a comment

Want $1,000 for college? Elite Fixtures can help make that happen.

If you are currently enrolled in college or headed there in 2017 and want to win a $1000 scholarship to help cover expenses, consider entering the Elite Fixtures Scholarship Contest. Elite Fixtures will award a $1000 scholarship to a highly motivated student who can thoughtfully write about sustainability and how they practice green living.

THE PROMPT:

We are committed to sustainable living at Elite Fixtures, providing numerous energy efficient options for the home. In 600 words or less, tell us about what sustainability means to you and why it is important to society as a whole. Then, explain how you practice sustainability or ‘green-living’ in your own life.

HERE’S HOW YOU WIN:

Fill out the form below, including a link to your essay using Google Docs. Remember to change the settings so it is viewable to anyone
Follow all directions in the prompt.
We will pick a winner on December 9, 2017 and notify you. (It’s subjective; we’re going to pick our favorite response.)
We will email you to confirm mailing address, and send you a check, or Visa gift card in the mail for $1000.
We will announce the winner on our company blog.

TO BE ELIGIBLE:

You must be a graduating senior in high school or a freshman, sophomore, or junior in college.
You must be graduating high school or in college and between the ages of 16 and 22.
We reserve the right to verify the date of your high school graduation and/or college enrollment.
Any and all content may be used in future Elite Fixtures marketing.

HOW TO ENTER:

Fill out the form below:
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Submissions must be received by midnight on December 8, 2017.

Benefits of Having Bathroom Vanity Cabinets

March 3, 2017 admin Leave a comment

Even in a small space, the right vanity can tie a bathroom together and give you the room necessary to store a few items close at hand. With the multitude of options out there, it’s easy these days to find a vanity that will perfectly compliment your bathroom, no matter your style.

Bathroom vanities make a great area for hidden storage. I’ve seen some great storage ideas for vanities to keep things neat and tidy, and hidden from view of your visiting guests. Use baskets or bins for larger items or hygiene products, and use storage trays in your drawers to keep your smaller items including makeup organized and easy to find. A vanity is a wonderful way to hide the products you use every day that you don’t necessarily want to display to the world.

Your vanity can also serve as a fabulous decorative piece in a bathroom, like any other furniture. It can actually become the focal point and add a surprising punch of colour, or be fashioned from an antique that you just can’t part with but have no other use for. Vanities have been made from old dressers and bed side tables, or even custom built out of old barn wood. You can also purchase a box store vanity and refurbish or paint it to make it entirely your own.

Keeping clutter away from your sink and off the cupboard will enable you to maintain a bathroom that stays cleaner and is more welcoming to use. There’s nothing worse than trying to get ready in the morning and having to clear space before you can even start your grooming. When you have a vanity available, you free up room for your morning routine and the sink area stays tidier.

A well designed vanity can certainly add value to your home. A pedestal sink can certainly look nice, but one of the first things people ask when faced with one in a home they’re thinking about buying is where bathroom items will be stored. Without a vanity it takes some creativity to figure out how to keep necessary products close at hand. Nobody wants to be stuck in the bathroom while the toilet paper is stored in a linen closet down the hall. Vanities have become an item that potential buyers expect and will make resale much more likely.

A bathroom vanity can be the most versatile piece of furniture in the house and can easily reflect your personality. It can also be modified quickly and cost effectively; wood vanities can be painted or sanded down and re stained. A change of drawer fronts or even just the pulls or knobs can shift the look dramatically. A vanity becomes an easy way to change the entire feel of your bathroom without breaking the bank.

The benefits of a bathroom vanity are numerous, and adding one to your home can take a bathroom from mundane to marvellous.

This article was written by Jon Reyes from Steam and Shower UK. Jon has been writing articles for over 10 years and is a commanding voice in the health and fitness community.

Energy Beliefs Affect Household Conservation Habits

Baby Boomers vs. Millennials: A Look at Energy Usage and Climate Change

February 16, 2017February 17, 2017 Jeff Leave a comment

Being environmentally conscious is a hot topic today with most individuals reporting some serious social pressure to reduce, reuse and recycle whenever possible. This means trying to be conscious of your daily habits and conserve energy whenever possible.

Many people would consider their home to be an oasis of sorts. It’s a place to do whatever you want without judgement. For this reason, we thought it might be interesting to learn about the household habits of people across the US. We wanted to see what happens behind closed doors. Are American citizens reducing their energy usage, or do they throw caution to the wind and continue on with their traditional behaviors? We conducted a survey to find out their household habits and our findings are below.

The first thing we thought we should uncover was whether or not individuals even believed that there was a problem in our world that should cause them to conserve energy in the first place. It turns out that people aged 18-24 are the most likely to believe in human-impacted climate change.

We discovered that people who don’t believe that climate change is caused by humans are the least likely to intentionally conserve energy.

Energy Beliefs Affect Household Conservation Habits

Residents of some states are more willing to make an effort to conserve energy over the coming year. Oregon, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Wisconsin were the states with the residents who were most willing to change their habits. Arizona was the least likely state to make a conscious effort to change their household habits for the environment.

What does the gender breakdown look like? Of those survey respondents that stated they would not make a conscious effort to be green this year, men were the larger share of the pie, with males twice as likely as females to say they wouldn’t make an effort.

Energy Conservation Habits by Gender

When it comes to household chores, how often are Americans engaging in these necessary activities?

While dishwashers (especially older ones) require a large amount of energy to heat water and sanitize dishes, the majority of Americans report using their dishwasher multiple times a week.

Household Dishwasher Usage per Week

Compared to getting the dishes clean, the majority of survey respondents report doing laundry just once per week.

Household Laundry Habits

And what about vacuuming? While the majority reported that vacuuming takes place about once per week, 10% of respondents admitted they NEVER vaccuum their home. Hopefully, they are using a swiffer or a mop — you’ve got to keep those floors clean somehow!

Household Vacuuming Habits

Interestingly, despite the fact that older Americans tend to live in larger homes than millennials, many of their household habits are similar. A much larger home doesn’t significantly impact the frequency of chores.

Home Sizes for Millennials vs Baby Boomers

While most of these household chores are necessary to keep a home clean and organized, over-use of these home appliances can be detrimental to the environment. The younger generation clearly has a stronger belief in the impact of our daily habits on climate change, so perhaps as this subset of the population ages and forms their own families and households, they will make green decisions that help cut back on overall energy consumption.

What can you do? Opt for energy-efficient appliances when possible and make it standard practice to check-in with yourself and see if there are any small ways you can reduce energy usage in your home.

Choosing Bathroom Lighting

February 3, 2017 admin Leave a comment

Bathrooms perform a double duty in the household; they’re definitely functional but can also be your haven for relaxation. When renovating or designing from scratch, you’ll want to pay special attention to your bathroom lighting. It’s often overlooked in the face of so many other design choices; the fixtures, the wall color, tiles, tub surround, etc. The right lighting can take a bathroom from dull to delightful. Here are some tips before you make your choice:

Style

Obviously, no matter what function the light is going to serve, you’ll want something that goes with the style you’re trying to create in the rest of the room. Take into account the color of your taps and tiles when choosing your light fixture finish. If the bathroom has a modern feel, a light fixture that has a brushed nickel or black finish with simple, straight lines might be your best bet. Stick with the same theme throughout so that your light fixture doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb, but blends with the room as a whole.

Finish

The world is your oyster when it comes to finishes. Light fixtures can be made of an assortment of products; metal, plastic, crystal, wood…there’s no limit to your imagination these days. Again, you’ll want to think about the theme or feel of the rest of your bathroom. It’s a good idea to keep the finish on your taps and light fixtures complimentary.

Task Lighting

This type of lighting is the workhorse of any room. In a bathroom, it’s the light by which you’ll shave, apply makeup, and do all of your grooming. Task lighting is most often placed right at the vanity where it’s largely needed, but it’s often done improperly. If you mount task lighting over top of your mirror, the light will cast a shadow over the lower half of your face; mounted on either side of the mirror, however, improves the visibility of your whole face. Sconces work great for this type of lighting.

Accent Lighting

If there is anything that you want to highlight in the bathroom (maybe a recessed wall with art or a tile mosaic) accent lighting is your best bet. You could also put an accent light over a shelf with folded hand towels and soaps. Whatever you’d like to feature in the bathroom, consider accent light to show it off to the best degree.

Decorative Lighting

Looking for a light to tie everything together? A decorative chandelier or pendant light adds that sparkle to any bathroom, no matter the style. Think dazzling crystal or feathered piece for a delicate, feminine bathroom, or a dark wooden frame surrounding a bare bulb pendant for a cabin style bathroom with a more masculine bend.

Natural Light and Wattage

If there’s a lot of natural light in your bathroom (during the time when you’ll most need it) then you can consider a lower wattage of bulb, especially in the case of your decorative light. As a rule, however, it’s best to go with a 75 to 100W bulb in your task and accent light fixtures. Since natural light changes drastically throughout the day, and can certainly be an asset, you’ll want to have control over the times when you can’t rely on what’s coming through your window.

Choosing your lighting can be as enjoyable as choosing any other part of your bathroom. Explore the possibilities and have fun with it!

This article was written by Jon Reyes from Clearwells. Jon has been writing articles for over 10 years and is a commanding voice in the health and fitness community.

2017 Lighting Clearance Sales – Save Up to 85%

January 12, 2017 Dana B Leave a comment

Did you know that one of the best times to purchase a new lighting fixture is in January? Just like car dealers, lighting manufacturers typically start to make way for new inventory for the coming year – at the end of the old year. This creates a natural push to rid warehouses of older models that might not have sold very well in the previous year. One can find outstanding bargains when manufacturers race to clear space for fresh new designs that they are anxious to sell!

The irony of these great sales is that some really beautiful and very expensive fixtures end up going for rock bottom prices – sometimes up to 85% off! These sales are called ‘clearance sales’, because that’s exactly what the manufacturers are doing – clearing their buildings of products they no longer want to house.

It’s been our experience that sometimes a stunning design or collection is put on clearance simply because it was originally thought to be a best seller. Then over time, the fixture failed to produce adequate sales numbers. Sometimes a design just won’t sell no matter how much is it promoted. And these low volume selling designs can actually be quite elaborate and beautiful. If one shops though the clearance sales – a true gem can often be found. Sometimes it can take a little longer to peruse through the clearance racks – but it is so worth it to do so! Elitefixtures.com has three sales sections where you can find great products at bargain prices…

MONTHLY PROMO’S – There are ‘sales and promotions’ that are dictated by the manufacturers on a month to month basis. Typically, a manufacturer will issue to us a count of sku#’s that they have decided to let go on sale. These are normally priced products that they will temporarily lower price-wise for a 30 day period; with the use of a coupon code offered. Sometimes they’ll simply allow us to lower the price on certain marked items for a designated period of time. One should always check the general sales and promotions tab first to see if there is a favorite brand that might be having a great and ‘current promotion’ going on. With over 100 manufacturers on board – there is always a very wide range of fixtures to choose from.

OPEN BOX SALES – There are also ‘open box’ sales. Though there is not always a huge selection of these items available, sometimes, by just clicking on the Open Box link for a ‘quick see’; that one tiny action can land you a really great bargain that you didn’t expect. Open Box items are items that are brand new, never installed, but the packaging may have been opened for various reasons. If you don’t mind that it’s not a brand new box, you can get a great price on a fixture.

CLEARANCE SALES – are always ongoing because we house over 100 manufacturers on site. These clearance items are usually soon-to-be-discontinued items that manufacturers just want to push out of their factories. So if you choose a fixture that has several shade covers, as in a vanity with four bulbs; it would be a wise idea to inquire about purchasing at least one extra shade just in case one breaks a few years from now. Though a fixture can last a decade or longer, most often it is a shade or a diffuser that gets accidentally shattered while cleaning it. Use your smarts and make the ‘extra shade’ purchase in that case. Then you won’t go through the headache of realizing that you can’t find a replacement shade ANYWHERE online, because it was discontinued 2 years prior! Inquire about additional shades or bulbs that you think you may need and make the purchase while the manufacturer still has some of them in inventory!

Sales are great any way you cut the cake. Everybody loves a sale. But GREAT SALES happen when you truly pay attention! Check the product details. Make sure it’s still in stock. If the stock count shows only one left – it’s worth it to call in or chat in to make sure that ‘one’ actually still exists. Better get cracking! 2017 lighting clearance sales, where you can save up to 85% – are going on now!

Gift Healthy – Himalayan Salt

December 19, 2016January 9, 2017 Dana B Leave a comment

One of the neatest things you can gift someone with is a present that will help enhance or maintain their health. There is a huge difference between electronic and organic products and perhaps we should look at the difference between items that contain the two vastly different life properties. Because what you give to someone you love, may indeed affect them more than you may know. So why not gift healthy – a Himalayan Salt lamp?

Manhattan Comfort Salt Basket Sku# AMC95030A

It has been long debated that cell phones and many other electronic gadgets, including microwaves emit EMF’s, (electro-magnetic frequencies) may to be harmful to the human body, especially when such products are in-use over prolonged periods of time. In 2008 ‘Scientific American’ ran an article called “Mind Control by Cell Phone” which explained the danger that Wi-Fi has on the human brain. Cell phones and many computer based products, in order to operate, emit radio frequency energy; a form of non-ionizing radiation. Humans, in close proximity to these items can absorb this energy. Positive ions are created by electronic devices like computers, TVs, microwaves, and can exacerbate allergies or add to stress levels. Negative ions neutralize positive ions. Negative ions occur in nature and are created by lightening storms, waterfalls, and most other sources of moving water. Salt lamps also generate small amounts of negative ions when used consistently over time.

Pyramid Salt Lamp , Nepal Collection Sku # AMC95004

Himalayan salt lamps became popular initially among the holistic-green minded communities because of their greater acceptance of all things organic. In the last few decades there have been various studies on the effects of positive and negative ions on environmental things, including humans. Similar to a sense of clarity just after a rainstorm, or a heightened crispness felt after taking a shower, moving water is not the only thing that alters the environment by arousing negative ions – which are positive for our bodies by the way. Salt lamps are essentially large pieces of pure Himalayan Salt with a small bulb inserted inside. Products offered these days can be solid pieces of salt added to decorative baskets or singular large pieces that can offer a nice warm glow when lit. Other pieces are carved out to hold tea lights.

Nepal Collection, Set of 2 Sku # AMC2-95000

Himalayan salt lamps are made from pure, food grade salt crystals and the salt itself is often ground into powdered form, so as to be used in food recipes. Aside from the fact that salt lamps emit a soothing glow about them, they also attract water vapor in the air (including things such as dirt and debris contained in the vapor). This is another benefit of salt lamps, and the reason why some people have them in most rooms of their homes – to help clear the air of debris.

Salt, by its nature attracts water to its surface which evaporates quickly due to the small amount of heat from the light source. You may notice that after using one for a long while that it tends to sweat or appear wet in humid climates. Some lamps over time, can even begin to dissolve slightly due to the repetitive water and heat attraction. Salt is a living property and therefore, actively reacts with its environment.

Nepal Collection Shot Glasses Sku # AMC4-95029

One may not believe all the hype about the healing effects of Himalayan salt lamps and science may never fully define exactly what they do for us in terms of health benefits. Regardless, they certainly are an enjoyable feature to have when entertaining a room full of house guests…especially around the holiday season!

50 Shades of Green

December 15, 2016December 19, 2016 Dana B Leave a comment

Helping you to bring in the New year and to celebrate the entire holiday season, we offer you 50 shades of green and gift you with some fresh lighting ideas for working with this color. Green is actually a wavelength of light. Visible light is perceived as spectral colors, which are often divided into named colors. Traditional colors include: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet, with red, yellow and blue being what artist’s consider to be primary colors. Green is the color between blue and yellow on the spectrum of visible light. It is evoked by light with a predominant wavelength of roughly 495–570 nm. It is also considered worldwide – as a healing color. Standard green often correlates to the note ‘C’, 527.35 Hertz and 517.03 nanometres.

Featured: Elk #31080-3L-GRN, Z-lite #131SB-GREEN

When shopping for new fixtures, consider a fun pop of green shading instead of seeking out a traditional or contemporary white or eggshell colored light fixture. Here are a few hues of green to consider when searching out the right fixture shade or lamp for a room:

Avocado green, Apple green, Dark green, Fern green, Forest green, Hooker’s green, Irish green, Jungle green, Laurel green, Light green, Moss green, Mantis green, Myrtle green, Mint green, Pine green, Sap green, Shamrock green, Tea green, Teal, Olive green, Army green, Bottle green, Bright green, Bright mint, Brunswick green, Castleton green, Celadon green, Dark pastel green, Dartmouth green, Emerald, Feldgrau, Green-yellow, Harlequin green, Hunter green, India green, Islamic green, Jade green, Kelly green, Malachite, Midnight green, Neon green, Ocean green, Pakistan green, Paris green, Persian green, Russian green, Rifle green, Spanish green, Screaming green and Turquoise green.

Featured: Yosemite #6353-2GS, BESA # 1JT-MILO4GR-SN

As it is well known in Chromatherapy studies, the color green plays a major role in setting up a particular mood or state of mind. Color does affect one’s feelings, moods, and emotions. When considering adding color to a room, whether you are completely overhauling a room or just want to add a few new elements to perk a designated area up, think about the effect light and color has on your physical self. With the added stress of shopping and wrapping gifts for friends and family, and then shopping some more to prepare food for holiday gatherings; green seems to be a color one should consider adopting. After all, tis the season to at least think about it!

Cyber Sales All This Week!

November 30, 2016December 2, 2016 Dana B Leave a comment

Why party on just one day of the week? We’re having Cyber Sales all this week! There are over 100 top brand name manufacturers to chose from and over 100,000 products on sale this week. Listed online are both indoor and outdoor fixtures, plumbing products, range hoods, home decor, furniture, rugs, mirrors, wall art, appliances, water coolers, fans, hardware and garden ornaments.

Authorized Dealers of these Manufacturers: A&E Bath & Shower Anji Mountain, Besa, Bulbrite, Capital, Corbett, Crystorama, Dimond, Elegant Lighting, Famination, Golden, Hinkley, Hudson Valley, James R Moder, Kichler, LBL, Maxim, Murray Feiss, Monte Carlo, Momeni, Nuvo, Oriental Weavers, PLC, Progress, Quoizel, Sea Gull, Sage, Spa World, Schonbek, Tech Lighting, Troy, Trans Globe, Thor, Uttermost, Vaxcel, Xtreme Air, Yosemite, Z-Lite & Zuo….just to name a few! Hurry! Go NOW!

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 23, 2016November 23, 2016 Dana B Leave a comment

On this very special Thanksgiving, we wish each and every one of our customers and manufacturers a very Happy Holiday. To help you celebrate, we’ve given you a little turkey searching exercise just for fun. Should you fail to find all the turkeys, we’re happy to furnish you a few hints along the way….

There are 16 turkeys total in the above image. There are 6 different kinds of turkeys to find. Some are incredibly obvious for those of you who have a ‘very little patience’ factor. There are some that are fairly well hidden, for those of you who enjoy a good solid challenge. For those of you who require a few easy hints, because you’re either very lazy or sight challenged, we’ve provided a turkey chart just below, so you can concentrate on what you’re looking for.

By the way….

…and while you are searching for turkeys, we are also having lots of Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales; not only to keep in the spirit with holiday shopping trends, but because our manufacturers tend to reduce their prices for the Holiday weekend. Thus, we can reduce our pricing across the board! So now you can search turkeys and then shop over 100 top name brand manufacturers on our website all day long if you please, because hopefully your employers have given you at least one day off to enjoy the company of family and friends…and to toodle around on the internet too! After all – there’s another big holiday right around the bend where usually, presents are required. So we have some shopping ideas for you, while you have some time on your hands this weekend….

For instance, all through the weekend – there is 20% off all Maxim and ET2 fixtures. There’s no coupon needed – the price adjusts at checkout! Or take a look at our Cyber Monday Sales page, with multiple brands! If you love the Hinkley brand, they too are having a 20% off Cyber Sale.

How ya doing with those turkeys so far? Find the 16 yet?

This weekend there are also some magnificent clearance sales as manufacturers clear their warehouses for next years inventory. If you’re looking for Home Decor items, take a look at the Uttermost Company who has sales up to 60% off! That includes, furniture, lamps, rugs and home decor items. Yosemite Home Decor is another manufacturer that sells more than just lights. They carry loads of artwork and water fountains, as well as unusual furnishings. Did you find all the turkeys yet? Just in case you didn’t, here are your clues to show you exactly where they all are!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!