photo credit: Sarah_Ackerman

As Texans face the first cold snap of the new year, the Public Utility Commission (PUC) offers the following tips to save money on electricity bills this winter if you use electric heat:

Handling the Heat-

• Lower the thermostat when you leave home. Make sure the lowered temperature will not affect pets or plants inside your home. An energy efficient setting is 68 degrees for winter. Consider buying a programmable thermostat if you don’t have one.
• For each degree you lower your thermostat in winter, you can save about 3 percent on your heating bill. If your monthly bill is about $100, lowering your thermostat four degrees could save you up to $12 on each bill.
• Lower the temperature setting on your water heater to about 120 degrees.
• Check all heating systems regularly –even minor problems can increase heating costs.

Lighten Up-

• Close curtains and shades at night and open them during the day. For maximum solar heat, keep your windows clean, especially those on the south side of your home.

Home Smarts-

• Clean and replace furnace filters once a month or more if needed.
• Use duct tape to repair and seal any leaks. Seal leaks around doors with weather stripping and around windows with caulking.
• If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the flue.
• Look for the Energy Star® and Energy guide label on items such as heating and cooling appliances, home entertainment systems, office equipment, and kitchen and bathroom appliances. These products meet energy efficient guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA. Customers can save up to $400 in a year.
• Make sure your home has proper insulation.

As a long-term investment, consider installing storm windows or double-paned windows to retain heat. Storm windows can reduce heating loss by 25 percent and double-paned windows can reduce your bill by 34 percent.

The Public Utility Commission (PUC) urges electric customers in competitive areas to compare offers and not rely solely upon information given by individual providers.

Operated by the PUC, the Texas Electric Choice Web site, www.powertochoose.org , allows customers to make a straight-forward comparison of offers within their particular zip code. For customers without Internet access, free help is available by calling the Texas Electric Choice answer center at 1-866-PWR-4-TEX (1-866-797-4839) toll-free. The PUC also requires each retail electric provider to have an “Electricity Facts Label” that includes standard information about prices and contract terms.

“Customers need to know there’s a source for unbiased information when shopping for electricity,” said PUC Commissioner Julie Parsley. “While there’s certainly a place for providers to market their product, customers have the opportunity to compare offers on the PUC-approved Web site.”

The PUC is reminding customers about the free service because of a bill insert sent this month by an affiliate retail electric provider, TXU, to its residential customers in the Oncor service area. While the notice points out a reduction in rates in moving from summer to winter pricing, the notice fails to explain that most other providers also offer similar pricing and that TXU bills will increase when summer rates take effect next year.

The bill insert also included a chart showing that TXU has the lowest rate of all major providers in Texas. However, this information is irrelevant to customers in the Oncor service area since competing retail electric providers can offer lower prices than TXU.

"May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 115:15

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