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Tired of High Electric
Bills?
In Texas, the
typical family spends $1500 per year on home energy
costs, but that figure is likely to rise. Due to
increased demand, natural disasters, and other factors,
energy costs have risen across the board this year, and
Texans are taking notice to their electric bills. Just
as you have had to pay more at the pump this year, Texas
electricity suppliers like Reliant Energy in Houston and
TXU Energy in Dallas/ Ft. Worth are increasing their
prices to you. Today, families need to do what they can
to lower their energy costs more than ever.
The first
step is to have an electricity savings plan in place for
your home and to fully understand where you are spending
the majority of your electricity dollars. In most
homes, air conditioning, heating, lighting and
appliances make up the majority of the electricity spend
each year. By making energy efficient enhancements to
your home, switching to a low cost provider, and
lowering your electricity consumption you can lower your
energy costs by up to 50%.
Texas has
hot summers and cold winters and one of the main costs
is operating your heating, ventilating, and air
conditioning (HVAC) system. Start by having a certified
HVAC technician properly maintain and/ or upgrade your
HVAC equipment. Energy efficient HVAC systems might
cost more, but they will more than pay for themselves
over their lifetime plus add value to your home. Set
your thermostat at 78 degrees or above in the summer and
spring months and as low as possible in the winter
months. Every degree below 78 increases your cooling
costs by almost 10%. To further reduce the burden on
your HVAC system, you need to properly insulate your
home to keep the cool air inside your home in the summer
and warm air inside in the winter. Make sure you have
the proper insulation in your attic, a sufficient amount
of caulk and weather-stripping around your windows and
doors, and insulation on all exterior outlets and
electrical receptacles, as this will reduce the flow of
air into and out of your home.
Change out
your incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent light
bulbs. Fluorescent light bulbs use less electricity,
last longer than incandescent bulbs, and will save you
up to 25% on your lighting cost. Make sure to purchase
appliances with the Energy Star logo. Energy Star
appliances help save you money through their advanced
construction and design. To learn more about Energy
Star programs, you can visit their website at:
www.energystar.gov.
Turn on your fans. Up to 70% of your summer electricity
usage comes from your air conditioner. By turning on a
fan, a room can feel up 5 degrees cooler. In the
winter months, change your ceiling fans switches to a
clockwise rotation. This allows the fans to bring the
warmer air down.
Besides
reducing your electricity consumption, with electricity
deregulation in Texas you now have a choice in your
Texas electricity provider, and you still get the same
reliable electricity service and the only thing that
changes is billing and customer service. The actual
delivery of electricity is still delivered by the same
wires company that is responsible for maintaining the
wires and poles, delivery of the electricity, and
responding to emergency outages. Retail electric
providers will compete for your business by offering
lower electric rates, added customer service benefits,
or renewable energy options. You can order your
electricity service online from retail electric
providers like, Cirro Energy and Green Mountain Energy
by visiting
www.electricitytx.com.
The key to
reducing energy costs in your home is to make the entire
house as energy efficient as possible and shopping for
the best rates available to you. Follow these helpful
steps and you will notice a dramatic change in your
Texas electricity bills for the better.
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