BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – With temperatures in the high 90s and air conditioners running around the clock, Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU) says residents do not have to choose between staying cool and keeping their bills manageable, but it will take some strategy.
BTU Communications and Marketing Specialist Trey Reeves told KBTX that the air conditioner will always be the biggest energy drain in a home. He said making even small, deliberate changes to how and when it runs can add up to real savings on a monthly bill.
Thermostat and smart home settings
Reeves said raising the thermostat above a household’s usual setting can save 1 to 3% on a monthly bill for every degree it is raised above 70 degrees. He said residents who leave town should not turn the air conditioner off; they should set it higher instead, keeping air flowing through the home.
A smart thermostat can extend those savings further. Reeves said homeowners can program the thermostat to raise the temperature while no one is home and then kick back down about 15 minutes before they return, keeping the home comfortable without running the system at full capacity all day.
Bryan Texas Utilities recommends that residents invest in a smart home thermostat to help save on their monthly energy bill.(kbtx)
“If no one’s going to be home, or maybe just pets are going to be home, you can bump it up a few degrees while nobody’s there and it’s not sacrificing your comfort,” Reeves said in the interview. “You can even program it to kick down a little bit about 15 minutes before you come home, and your house is still comfortable, and you save some money.”
He added that pet owners should keep comfort in mind when adjusting the thermostat while away.
Ceiling fans and airflow
Ceiling fan direction also matters, Reeves said. In summer, fans should spin counterclockwise.
“We all know that hot air rises, cool air sinks, right? So if it’s spinning counterclockwise, it creates the airflow that you’re trying to have to actually cool the room,” Reeves said. “It’s going to pull that cool air up from the bottom, circulate it around the room. If it’s spinning clockwise, it actually does the reverse. It pulls the hot air from the top and spreads it around the room.”
Reeves noted that fans cool people, not rooms, and said residents should turn fans off in rooms that are not being used to maximize savings.
Seals, appliances, and daily habits
Reeves said residents should check every door and window in their homes for gaps or damaged seals. Replacing worn seals with weather stripping is a DIY project that can prevent cool air from escaping, he said.
Appliance timing also plays a role. Reeves said washers and dryers radiate heat and should be run in the evening rather than during the hottest parts of the day. He said that using appliances during off-peak hours also helps reduce strain on the broader Texas energy grid.
Reeves said residents should also take shorter showers and limit hot water use, and noted that running a dishwasher uses less water than washing dishes by hand, a common misconception, he said.
Different ways to help keep your energy bill down in Texas during the summer.(kbtx)
Cooking habits can affect indoor temperatures as well. Reeves said stoves and ovens heat up a home, and suggested grilling outside or using a slow cooker during the summer months as an alternative.
BTU also suggests spending time in free community spaces that offer air conditioning, such as the mall, movie theaters or a local library.
“They’re spending money on AC, so you don’t have to,” Reeves said.
Outside the home
Solar screens can block heat before it enters a home, BTU said. The utility’s Smart Home Program offers 10% to 25% back on qualifying projects, depending on the project, including solar screens, insulation, and Energy Star windows. Homeowners submit project details through the program to receive the rebate on their utility bill. BTU also offers a Smart Business version of the program for business owners.
Reeves said attic insulation is one of the most overlooked areas where cool air can escape and encouraged homeowners to inspect it regularly.
For residents who water their lawns, BTU advises doing so after sundown or before sunrise to prevent evaporation. Reeves also said gardeners should consider planting native plants, which require less water than non-native varieties.
BTU recommends that homeowners water their lawns after sundown or before sunrise to prevent evaporation.(kbtx)
Reeves said his own family relies on a mix of approaches to get through the Texas summer.
“You gotta get creative, right? We, my family, like going to the pool. My family likes, you know, I mentioned the, we keep a lot of cold fruit around the house and try to eat that. But yeah, it’s a battle for sure,” Reeves said.
Budget billing program
For residents having difficulty covering energy costs, BTU offers a budget billing program. The program averages a customer’s last 12 months of bills and locks in a flat monthly payment, eliminating month-to-month fluctuations.
“If you want it to be more like an internet bill, where you know exactly what you’re going to pay every month, we can do that so that you can budget and prepare for that and not be surprised if one month is higher than the other,” Reeves said.
BTU said it recalculates the flat rate if actual usage drifts too far from the established average.
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