Celebrations of mothers can be traced back to the Greeks and Romans. But the American incarnation of the holiday began in the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children.

These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation.

Following her death in 1905, her daughter, Anna Jarvis conceived Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children.  Three years later, in 1908, the towns of Grafton, West Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were the first to hold gatherings for Mothers Day. From there it grew and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. 

That’s the reason why every year you give her flowers, chocolates, jewelry, and meals. But what do you get a mom who has given you so much over the years and seems to have everything she needs?

You can help her save on energy. In a poll moms conducted at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) of the U.S. Department of Energy, mothers offered their tips for savings her money, energy and helping her preserve the planets.

Some of these things are simple and stuff you’ve heard dozens of times, but here they go. You can start by turning the lights off when leaving the roof. And if you switch those lights to energy saving kind, you could save mom $75 per year in electricity. Unplug electronics, especially cell phone chargers and other “vampire” appliances that even when not turn on keep sucking up power. This “phantom” power alone can cost you up to $100 a year. Turn down the thermostat. Heating and cooling your home accounts for nearly 40% of your energy bill. If you layer up in winter and open windows and doors during the summer to keep your home warmer and cooler, you can save plenty of dough along the way. Sealing windows and doors to avoid drafts and energy evaporation will also help. 

A solar power system for her home might be a nice gesture. 

Cost of solar

It doesn’t have to be a big investment on your part. If it’s only your mom and your dad at home now, their energy needs could be very low and they won’t need a large solar power system.

According to the Hahasmart price checker, a 3 kW system runs about $9,547 in total hardware and installation costs. It’s an investment you’ll recuperate in about 6.5 years and your mom can expect to save more than $23,000 in over 20 years that the solar power system is converting sunlight into electricity.

To find out the correct size of a solar power system for your home and what it will cost, you can simply input your home address and monthly electricity bill. The price checker will even help you contact a reliable solar installer in your area. 

While you may not be able to get the solar panels installed on time for Mother’s Day, it’s a relatively short time, about 35 days on average after you sign a contract with an installer. 

Picking a contractor with experience in solar installation is crucial to correctly assess the size of your power system, getting permits on time and having those panels working in top shape for the next two decades. 

That means that your mom will be bragging to friends and neighbors, not to mention your brothers and sisters, about all the savings in her electric bill thanks to you - for years to come. If you ever forget to call on Mother’s Day in the future, just mention the solar panels and voila! You’ll be covered. 

A “green” gift

If your mom is into gardening or pro-environment, and which mom isn’t?, you can also brag about how much she’ll be saving the Earth with this decision. Solar panels don’t emit any emissions when they’re converting sunlight to energy. And as you generate your own energy, it means less energy needed from power plants that burn fossil fuels that create the greenhouse gases that are damaging the planet. 

So you won’t only be helping your mom, but Mother Nature as well.

Other gifts

And with the savings on electricity, you’ll have more money to spend on the important things in life. If you save $50 a month on electricity once your solar panels start working, you can use that cash for a nice dinner. If you save $100, it could mean a nice day at a local spa. Or, if you set aside all the savings in a year, you could definitely splurge and have a vacation paid off.

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