You can find the article here.

http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2011/08/26/texas-power-chips-away-at-retail-market.html

http://www.energychoicematters.com/stories/20110726b.html

http://www.arlingtontx.gov/articles/2011/articles_0811_11.html

http://www.arlingtontx.gov/articles/2011/articles_0111_13.html

To view the Ft. Worth Star Telegram article click here. Also be sure to check out another great Star-Telegram resource via the Watchdog Nation as Dave Lieber guides you through the unbiased steps to finding the right electricity offer for you and your family.

Start talking about energy, electricity and the National Smart Grid and you get a variety of responses and opinions. In Texas and throughout ERCOT (The Electric Reliability Council of Texas) the electricity conversation is no different. As of late May 2011, approximately 3,500,000 Smart Meters have replaced the older “dial” meters on residences throughout Texas. These older “dial” meters are utilizing technology which is about 50 years old and while they have served their purpose well, new energy technology is taking precedence. That consumers did not have a choice combined with bad press early on has made overall acceptance of the new smart meters a difficult pill to swallow. While the new Advanced Meter Systems (AMS) are more accurate, this again is part of consumer concern. Accuracy works both ways though. Old technology may have given you an extra little break on you usage reads one month but another month it may have worked against you. It is a good thing that Smart Meters are more accurate and they provide the market more options. Our guess is that 3 – 5 years after the last meters are installed many of the existing concerns will be forgotten and consumers will be enjoying the benefits of the new meters. Texas Power intends to highlight several of the new smart meter features and possibilities in the coming days but for now we wanted to offer a quick update of the ERCOT region via the Transmission Distribution Utilities a.k.a TDU’s. To break down the approximate 3.5 million smart meters installed to date, here are the numbers by the service or TDU territory.

• Texas New Mexico Power (TNMP) – 10,000 smart meters have been installed to date with completion planned for 2016.

• American Electric Power (AEP) – 290,543 smart meters have been installed to date with completion planned for 2013.

• Centerpoint (CNP) – 1,393,571 smart meters have been installed to date with completion planned for 2012.

• Oncor (Oncor) – 1,795,301 smart meters have been installed to date with completion planned for 2012.

For those interested in learning more about their installed or upcoming smart meter you can visit the appropriate TDU link or you can visit the Smart Meter Texas Portal.

*Smart meter install numbers retrieved from the most recent update from ERCOT.

#1. Christmas lights: Although they are small and seem insignificant, running your Christmas lights all night, night after night, can add up to increased electricity usage. To combat this extra usage try turning off your Christmas lights when you go to bed at night. Some types of Christmas lights actually come with a timer system so they
can be set to turn off automatically. Another power saving option is to purchase LED Christmas lights which use much less power per bulb.

DID YOU KNOW

Five sets of 70-light Icicle Lights (est. 5 watts per bulb) cost (based on 9 cents/kwh): $1.64 per hour. Total est. cost if lights are left on six hours per day for 25 days in December: $246.00. 

#2 Holiday cooking:  So, who loves cooking and eating food around the winter Holidays? We raised our hands and it would not be surprising to see everyone’s hands go up. Often, the holiday season gives us a reason to cook and cook and cook some more. All of this cooking does come at a price though…increased electricity usage. If you are cooking food all day in your oven or in other appliances it directly affects your usage.

DID YOU KNOW

Microwave oven (est. usage): 1,450 to 1,700 watts
Electric Range (est. usage): 1,600 watts
Oven (est. usage): 3,200 to 5,000 watts

These are just a couple of the many ways that electricity usage can go up over the holiday season and we hope that by showing you where the extra usage comes from, you can plan for it and start conserving now. 

If you are interested in starting new service with us or renewing your current service, please call us at 866-744-6966 or visit our website.

Picture by Christopher Down

It is amazing what little things can do to add up to so much.  Take lights for instance:  household light bulbs, each drawing a little power, can add a large cost to the electricity bill, very quickly.  So what’s the solution?

In our post before, we discussed changing regular incandescent light bulbs out for Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs to decrease the electricity usage and save some money.  But what if CFL’s aren’t in the budget or you want to save even more on your electricity?  Natural Lighting is the solution for you and the best part….IT IS FREE!  What can beat that?

Let the Light In

To put it simply, if there is light outside, open your blinds and let all that bright, no-cost light in.  Bask in your newly acquired light, knowing that for it, you paid not one cent, but at the same time you saved quite a few.  Natural light is, often times, just as good as turning on the lights, and yet so much cheaper.  There is feeling of peace when you know that lighting the room you are occupying didn’t cost anything.  I personally have started putting the use of natural lighting to the test and from personal experience, it feels great.

It’s Tough but Worth it

Using natural light to save money on your electricity each month takes discipline and repetition.  Let’s face it, not turning on the lights one day out of the month will not do anything to your electricity cost.  In order for it to work, it has to become an everyday habit and habits form from repetition.  Resisting the urge to turn on the light (I know it is hard to resist) and instead open up the blinds takes practice and some getting used to, but the benefits are lower electricity usage and ultimately, lower power bill.

What I have started doing is to only turn on the lights at night (or when it is too dark outside for natural light to be effective) and only in the room I am in.   So far it has been a struggle to not flip the switch but it has had a positive effect on my energy usage from my lights.

The Challenge

So here it is:  I challenge you to use natural light during the day and conservative lighting practices at night and see how much you can save in one month.  Granted, if you use more electricity elsewhere, your bill may not go down like you want it to, but at least you will know it’s not your lighting causing it.  Couple these energy saving lighting ideas with CFL’s and you may save more than you thought you could, just by using energy efficient lighting.

If you take on the challenge, post a comment and let us know how it is working for you.  Your comments and input help others find their own creative solutions to save electricity and save on their bill.

Thanks for reading.  Visit texaspoweronline.com if you are in need of electricity service.

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Lets look at some $$ saving lighting that will change the way you look at light bulbs and start you on the path to an energy efficient household and a lower electricity bill.

Energy Saving Lighting: CFLs

In homes and offices, 20 to 50 percent of total energy consumed is due to lighting [source: wikipedia:energy consumption].  This is not hard to believe when you consider that one 100 W light bulb, used just 6 hours a day, can cost over $25 per year to use (.12/kWh).  So how do we lower the cost of lighting?  Get efficient with CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs.  These highly efficient and energy saving bulbs can be found in most stores where light bulbs are sold.  The best part is, they are a direct replacement for your regular incandescent bulbs, no tinkering needed. 

Incandescent vs. CFL Usage

[Source: General Electric]

CFLs Are Awesome:

Here is why:

1. 1.       Replacing a standard 60-watt bulb with a 13-watt CFL can save a single household $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb

[source: General Electric].

1. 2.       CFLs use significantly less energy — 75 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs [source: HowStuffWorks.com].
2. 3.       A US article stated “A household that invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs, depending on your cost of electricity. Look at your utility bill and imagine a 12% discount to estimate the savings.” ^[[Source: Wikipedia]

Ultimately the main benefit is that your household requires less energy which results in a lower electricity bill.

The Price of CFLs

The main downside of CFLs is price. CFLs tends to cost more than your average incandescent bulbs but the savings over time, more than covers the cost to purchase them.  Often times, retailers will have deals on CFLs specifically to support more energy efficient living.  See your local retailer for pricing of CFLs.

Using CFLs

When you have made the switch to CFLs, you can expect to save some money on your electricity bill but remember they are not your average light bulbs and therefore need special care in disposing of them.  When your CFL bulbs go out, they need to be disposed of by recycling them [IKEA and Home Depot offer free recycling] or disposing of them at the correct facility.  According to HowStuffWorks.com,  start by calling your local waste management authority. You can also call 1-800-CLEANUP, a service provided by Earth911 that allows anyone with telephone access to search the organization’s database of 100,000 recycling and hazardous waste collection locations for more than 170 different materials.

Wrapping it up

Bottom line, energy saving lighting is here and if put into place, it can save you money on your electricity bill.  Though they cost more and require special disposal (recycling, etc.), the benefits of CFL bulbs are real and overtime, CFL bulbs will pay for themselves in the energy they save. 

If you would like more information about CFL bulbs, visit the following websites:

• EnergyStar.gov
• CFLBulbs.com
• Wikipedia.org
• General Electric
• HowStuffWorks.com

Thank you for reading our post about energy saving lighting.  If you would like to sign up for electricity, visit TexasPowerOnline.com or call us at 1-866-744-6366.

Texas Power:  Serving Texas, Serving You.

-Koji F.