Top Tips to a Lower Texas Electric Bill

With the spring and summer heat coming to Texas, more and more people wonder what they can do to lower their Texas electric bills. That said, here are the top tips we’ve found.

Heating and Cooling

As startling as this is, remember that approximately half of the energy used in a home is for heating and cooling. Thus, taking care of these specific appliances in order to make sure that they do not suck up energy is highly important. Steps for doing so include changing the filter regularly, tuning up the equipment, and sealing and insulating the ducts. You also might look into a programmable thermostat that changes the temperature when the home is unoccupied or the occupants are asleep, for instance, thus reducing the energy used.

Appliances

Sometimes when you stop and think about it, we are people who need appliances to keep us happy in our homes. For instance most of us own air conditioning, refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, disposals, as well as washers and dryers. This list of essentials does not even cover clocks, TVs or radios, water heaters, and ceiling fans, not to mention cell phones that need to be plugged in, computers, printers and assorted sound equipment. Thus, when you purchase appliances for your homes pay special attention to the energy saver listings that the manufacturer warrants.

Water Heater

Next to the heating and cooling costs, the second largest energy expenditure in most families goes to heat the water they bathe with and use to clean dishes. Purchasing a water heater that offers advanced technology and is an energy saver will definitely lower your energy bill.

Lighting

Many will be shocked to hear that lighting costs the average homeowner approximately 20% of their Texas electric bill. Sure, your mother always told you to turn off the lights in a vacated room, and that helps tremendously, however you also need to remove the incandescent light bulbs that may still be in your home and replace them with CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) that mostly come in those weird spiral bulbs. Those newer bulbs use 75% less energy than the incandescent bulbs! Startling, but true, and the cost of the new bulbs will easily be made up within 6 months of usage because if you’ll remember they last approximately 10 times longer than an incandescent bulbs.
Home Electronics

Various appliances from TVs to even stoves and microwaves use digital displays that are in “standby” power mode. When purchasing such items make sure of the energy rating that each is given, and opt for those that use less energy even in “standby” mode!
Office Equipment

Besides the fact that most home office equipment is running 24 hours a day, all of the accessories associated with a home office also drain off a tremendous amount of energy. Be sure to purchase equipment that is the lowest rated energy guzzler anytime you replace the office equipment.

In general, most people will be superbly surprised with the Texas energy savings experienced by following these very simple tips.