Did you know that trees positioned strategically can save up to 25% of a household’s energy consumption? If not, you would do well to remember that landscaping may be your best long-term investment for bringing down your cooling and heating costs. So, if you are struggling with rising power bills, it’s time to consider landscaping tips for energy-efficient homes.

Consider the climate

Due to its large size, different regions in the state of Texas have different climates, which could...

Though making your home shine bright by installing and using outdoor lights, indoor lamps, and holiday strings is a good idea, the entire thing can often become quite expensive as a lot of electricity is consumed by these artificial lighting equipments. But if you thought that saving energy means sacrificing the use of such lighting choices, think again. With some day lighting plans and the right choice of lighting equipments, you can make your home bright and beautiful without sacrificing ...

With Texas energy deregulation, consumers have got a choice to select their electric providers and plans that suit their needs and budget. But since a wide variety of electricity deals available in your zip code, which may vary either by the length of contract or price, it becomes quite difficult to compare them. Since most Texas electricity contracts don’t have any uniformity among the contract terms, and even the ones that do only have a limited amount of uniformity, you need to conside...

A report released in May this year predicted a gloomy picture about the state’s future electric reserves. According to the analysis, by 2014, Texas energy reserves are predicted to drop below the safe levels. What’s more threatening is that beyond 2014, the reserves are likely to dip even lower, which in turn is expected to cause rolling blackouts.

Plans for the future

With such dire predictions and an expected rise in Texas electricity prices, it becomes imminent to plan for the f...

According to a new report commissioned by the ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), the state of Texas is likely to face power shortages for the next 10 years. Unless new power plants are set up to meet the growing demands, and improved economic incentives are offered to guarantee power reliability, Texans face a bleak future when it comes to meeting their electricity needs.

How power shortages can affect life

Power shortages are predicted to happen each year during the peak d...

Texas electricity consumers should prepare to pay higher energy prices from this summer if a new policy under consideration is passed.

What the PUC proposes

Plagued by frequent blackouts and energy shortages in the past, especially during the months of summer, Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Texas has hinted at considering price rises to address the growing concern over Texas’s energy reserves. This state agency, which is in charge of overseeing the electricity market of Texas, si...

Though smart meters have been getting a lot of media attention recently, only a handful of customers belonging to the deregulated regions of Texas actually use them. However, before going into the details of how these devices can help consumers of Texas electricity, let’s take a look at what they are all about.

What are Smart Meters

Transmission and distribution utilities of the state use these digital devices to calculate electric consumption. Also called digital meters or advanced me...