How to Save Money on Electrical Bills in Texas

Electric prices are high in Texas, but you have some control over your bill.

Is your budget taking a hit each month due to the high electricity costs in Texas? If you’re struggling to make your energy bill play nice with other important expenses, you aren’t alone. Texas has a decentralized system that allows you to select between your local utility provider and a retail provider serving your area, but that hasn’t helped drive down prices for most Texans. In fact, many are paying more for electricity now than ever before.

While we can’t change the cost of electricity in Texas, we can give you tips to reduce your energy bills. Today, we’re going to cover the following tips:

• Install a Smart Thermostat

• Consider Smart Home Lighting

• Use Ceiling Fans Effectively

• Seal Your Air Ducts

• Schedule HVAC Maintenance

If you’ve been wondering how to save money on electricity bills in Texas, this information will help. These practical tips allow you to take simple, affordable action today.

Ready to speak to an HVAC expert about high electricity costs in Texas? Is it past time to have your HVAC system maintained? Call (210) 293-6700 or schedule a free estimate with Jon Wayne today for a prompt, professional opinion on your next HVAC project.

Smart thermostats are convenient and can cut electricity bill costs for homeowners in the San Antonio, TX, area– especially when connected to a well-maintained, high-efficiency HVAC system.

Research has proven that smart thermostats certified by Energy Star reduce run time by more than 8% when heating and more than 10% while cooling. That reduced run time leads to annual savings of approximately 8% or $50 on energy bills. Some smart thermostat manufacturers like Building 36 advertise even more substantial savings annually.

Smart thermostats can help you reduce energy bills in Texas, but you must use them correctly to maximize savings. The goal is to automate your system, so it heats and cools less aggressively when no one is home. The less your system runs, the less energy it uses.

Automating your lights can help reduce your energy bill.

If allowing your HVAC system to run less reduces those high electricity costs in Texas, why not multiply those savings by ensuring your home lights run less as well? It’s standard advice to turn off lights when you leave a room, but many people are still notoriously bad at following that advice consistently. Perhaps you’re one of those people, or you’re the one walking around flipping lights off because no one else will do it.

Smart home lighting is a way to automate the process. Your lights are timed to go on and off at certain times. For instance, you may program all lights to flip off after your teenager leaves the house for school every morning. Maybe you’re good at turning lights out but would like your outdoor lighting to come on when you pull into the driveway on a dark night.

Installing smart lighting outdoors is an improvement over security lights that would otherwise stay on until dawn. If you can also implement smart lighting indoors, you could reduce your energy bill even more.

Ceiling fans improve air circulation in a room and between rooms of your home. You can use them to help cool your home so that your air conditioner runs a bit less. They’re also helpful in the winter when circulating air will stop warm air from staying up near the ceiling. According to the Department of Energy, ceiling fans should allow you to set your air conditioning 4 degrees higher without your home feeling too warm.

What does it mean to use ceiling fans effectively? Start by setting the fan blades to turn counterclockwise. Leave them on as much as possible so that they assist your air conditioning in keeping your home cool. If you haven’t turned that thermostat up, do that now to see if your comfort remains stable, thanks to those fans.

If you have small cracks in your ductwork, air leaks out of those ducts rather than traveling into your home efficiently. Duct sealing is the process of sealing those small cracks to prevent air leakage. This allows your HVAC system to work efficiently rather than overworking to make up for lost air.

If you want to learn more about air duct sealing, contact the professionals at Jon Wayne in San Antonio, TX. Our NATE-certified technicians are trained to help homeowners improve efficiency and reduce energy bills.

Scheduling HVAC maintenance at least once a year is critical to your system's efficient operation and longevity. Ideally, both your heating and your cooling systems should be tuned up annually. This schedule allows our technicians to ensure your system is operating at peak performance before the more intense Texas weather moves into the area.

Properly maintained systems operate more efficiently, resulting in lower energy bills. You’re also less likely to need emergency repairs or face the discomfort of a breakdown when severe weather hits. There’s never a guarantee that you won’t need repair, but Jon Wayne technicians respond quickly and fix the problem right the first time around when they are needed.

Whether you need your furnace repaired ASAP or just want to take advantage of the Jon Wayne maintenance plan, we’re ready to receive your call at (210) 293-6700.

Our 5-Star Service Club starts at just $29.95 a month because we want to make maintenance more affordable for the San Antonio, TX, area. With routine system tune-ups, you’ll keep energy bills as low as possible– all year round!