Texas Electricity Ratings

Save Money on Your Pool This Summer These EnergyStar qualified pool pumps won't splash your money around! Save more on your Texas energy without overheating your electric bills. There’s no better feeling in the hot Texas heat than enjoying your summer in your pool. Well, perhaps saving money on electricity . But the second best feeling has got to be the pool. Luckily, you can enjoy both with these energy-efficient pool pumps. Electricity Cost of a Pool For just the electricity, it can cost $30 to $150 every month to run your pool. Of course, this depends on various factors, such as the size of your pool, the type of pump, and how often you use it. Thanks to blower motors and electric heaters, heated pools and hot tubs can even cost several hundred dollars extra. Types of Pool Pumps and Factors to Consider There are three types of pool pumps: single-speed, dual-speed, and variable. Single-speed pumps need to run at full speed every time they’re on. As the name suggests, dual-speed

How Do You Escape A Hot Day? Don't be trapped in your home on a hot day! Why not make a break for it and save money on your light company bills. Cool off your family with our great escape tips. In Texas, a hot day at home can be unbearable! But there are simple ways to avoid the discomfort and reduce your power use at the same time. By stepping out of your house and raising the temperature on your thermostat , you can stay cool while also being energy-conscious. Let's find some ways that help you keep your cool and save! Get Away From A Hot Day At Home  Check out some cool places to spend some time away from your house on a hot Texas day:  Explore the great outdoors: Don't get boxed in. Even when the sun is blazing, it's the perfect time to enjoy nature's offerings. Head to a local park, hike in a Texas State Park , or take a refreshing dip at a creek or swimming hole. By venturing outside, you can escape the heat and make the most of your day. Plan outdoor activiti

Choose the Right Type of Plan For Your Home Choosing the right type of plan for your home should also be the cheapest. Learn why comparing EFLs can help you land the best electricity deal. The right plan isn’t always the cheapest one. You have the power to choose different types of plans out there. But you still need to find the one that gets you the best savings with your usage. Discover the cheapest plans right now in Dallas and what you need to do to get the biggest savings. What to Look for in the EFL Before you commit to an electricity plan, make sure you read and understand the electricity facts label (EFL). This document includes the most important information about your future plan, including the pricing. Now, here’s the tricky part with EFLs. Texas light companies put an average price per kWh section at the top. But this section combines the base charge, energy charge, delivery charges, and bonuses all into one. So, it may distort your bill estimate depending on your actu

What Is An Energy Charge? EFLs can really complicate your power to choose a new plan. Find out why the energy charge is the most important and how it affects your monthly bill. Understanding electricity costs can be confusing. Whether you’re reading legalese or scientific terms, it can be hard to parse power contracts. But one important factor to consider is the energy charge. This charge plays a crucial role in determining your total cost. In short, energy charges are what you really pay for the power you use.  Each plan’s electricity facts label (EFL) outlines cost for your how monthly power bills. Delivery charges and energy charges make up the bulk of costs. Under Texas law, everyone served by a transmission and distribution utility (TDU) like Oncor and CenterPoint pays the same delivery charges. But you have the power to choose your retail power provider. The energy charge is the cost for the actual electricity supply in cents per kilowatt-hours (kWh). And that charge on your

Shining the Spotlight on Solar in Texas We're shining a spotlight on Solar power in Texas this month. Not only is it cheaper but solar cells can be made into windows and convert infrared heat to light at night. Check out these 7 facts about solar energy. Almost 5% of electricity comes from solar farms in Texas. And with billions of dollars invested, solar has a bright future in our sunny state. Especially since it produces cheap electricity that Texans really need right now. So let's discover seven fun facts you didn’t know about utility-scale solar power in Texas. 1. Solar Is the Most Abundant Resource Renewables like wind and hydro produce cheap electricity because the sources are free. But none are as abundant as sunshine.  There's approximately 173,000 terawatts of solar energy hitting the Earth as you're reading this. That’s over 100,000 times more than what we need. Harnessing even a fraction of that will eliminate the need for fossil fuels. 2. Sunshine Isn’t a

Is Your AC Running Constantly? Your light company bills this summer will be worse when your AC is running constantly. Don't worry! It could be an easy fix! Check out our list of practical tips before you call the HVAC tech. Summer heat and high power bills are a tough combo in Texas. No matter how much you try to conserve energy, it seems your constantly running AC keeps on chugging. But when your air conditioner runs non-stop, you might start to worry. The extra wear and tear on your HVAC system can lead to earlier repairs. And the last thing you want to happen is for your AC to break in July or August.  So, let’s explore some common reasons why your AC might be constantly running and provide you with practical tips to address the issue. We just might spare your wallet and your sweat glands.  Reasons for an AC Constantly Running Here are the most common reasons you AC might not turn off in the summer:  Incorrect thermostat settings: Ensure that your thermostat is set to the desi

How Green Energy Bailed Out Texas Renewables bailed out Texas when thermal powerplants fainted from the heat. Though fossil fuel plants are still important now, find out how more green energy may cut future electric prices. It’s great when the underdogs end up saving the day. And in Texas electricity news, the underdogs have been wind and solar energy lately. But renewables saved the Texas grid during the last week of June when demand soared to a record high. Hopefully, this taught leaders a good lesson on the reliability of green energy vs. fossil fuels. Here's what happened last week and how it may help to get you cheap electricity . A Record-Breaking Heatwave It’s so hot in Texas right now you could fry an egg on your driveway. To make matters worse, a climate change-exasperated heat dome looms over Mexico and South Texas. This causes extreme heat and humidity in the state. And on June 27, the demand for electricity was at an all-time high. The 80,828 MW needed to power the air

What Do You Do With ERCOT Voluntary Conservation Notice? ERCOT issues a voluntary conservation notice when Texas electricity demand gets high. Learn how you can help keep the power flowing to all Texans during this hot summer. A rolling blackout is the last thing you want in the middle of a Texas summer. The pros at ERCOT want the same thing. And it is their job to warn Texans when a power emergency could happen. In those cases, the regulator issues an ERCOT voluntary conservation notice.  When a notice comes out, you should limit your power usage. It really is that simple. Doing this helps ERCOT avoid taking more drastic steps to keep the grid working. If a power emergency gets worse, they can start cutting power to customers. And no one wants that to happen! But you can do your part to prevent that. A few simple, temporary changes in your power use help make a huge difference across Texas.  Energy Conservation Tips  Once you’re aware of a notice to cut power use, take as many of the