Electricity Avenue
Let’s dive into the world of your utility bills, more specifically your electricity bill. The U.S. Energy Information Administration determined the average American energy consumption per month is 897 kWh per month. Although the costs per state vary, the consumption of electricity is one that rises every year. Along with the use of everyday electronics, the consumption is primarily due to space heating and cooling, as well as appliance usage. The summers are only getting hotter, especially here in Texas. So we have compiled a list of one time investments that will make your house resistant to those crazy high electric bills. So let’s see how these pair up with local utility company rebates.
Thermostat
If you have WiFi, which if you live in the 21st century you most likely do, this item is a must have. We’ve all heard of being able to control your HVAC from remote locations, but most thermostats nowadays offer much more. The key factor we are focusing on here is statistic reports, specifically run-times. You want to find out how long your AC or heating is running for. Most utility companies will credit or even rebate you money for this purchase. CPS, San Antonio’s local utility, offers such program. CLICK HERE
Energy Audit
This is one anyone can take advantage of. Most utility companies have programs in place to have a certified energy consultant come to your home. The best part, they may install energy efficient products, all for free! Now if that’s not enough incentive to pick up that phone, they also give you a full report. You can take this report and shop around for contractor trades, which will most likely offer a discount. Once the energy expert makes the report they have most likely have done all the leg work for the contractor. For you CPS customers here’s that link…
Insulation Upgrade
This is our bread and butter, so get ready. Insulation is truly the set it and forget, least maintained investment you can make. Why? Because you literally just upgrade your insulation, whether DYI or hiring a contractor, and watch your bill lower. Once it is installed the heat transfer in your home is resisted by the insulation. The higher the R-Value in your attic, the better, check your local code for energy efficiency. So how can you get that utility rebate? Most utility companies will at least give you a credit per square foot installed if qualified. For CPS customers if your attic insulation is less than R-14 with a 2 foot clearance, you can get up to $0.35 per square foot. Check our R-value chart to see how much your existing needs to be at. CLICK HERE to see what CPS offers for insulation.
AC Units (Central or Window Units)
It goes without saying that this is the obvious choice, this is the one appliance that will drive that bill up. Depending on how your home was built you may want to have a 3rd party inspector review your AC unit. You need to make sure your tonnage is appropriate for the square footage of your home. Odds are if an company installed it, they most likely did it correctly. Like most mechanical components, wear and tear takes its toll on the unit. After all, it is exposed to the harsh weather. Almost all utility companies give incentive for replacing units before and after burnout of unit. Last but not least, here’s your link for CPS customers. For Window Units here is the application.