Here comes the Memorial Day weekend – a time when we honor those who have served in our military and a time that signifies the beginning of the summer vacation season for many. For Texans, it also means they pay no state or local sales tax on the purchase of certain ENERGY STAR® products. For the long weekend, TXU Energy is encouraging Texas electricity customers to consider the added benefits of a few do-it-yourself (DIY) projects around the house that can make their homes even more energy efficient. The company also offers a free online tool that can help make shopping for these projects a little easier for consumers.
 
Texas’ Tax Free Holiday
The Texas ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday Weekend runs from May 28 through May 30 and covers ENERGY STAR qualified air conditioners, refrigerators, ceiling fans, light bulbs, clothes washers, dishwashers, dehumidifiers and some programmable thermostats.

The benefits of ENERGY STAR appliances are well documented. According to the federal government’s ENERGY STAR program, replacing a dishwasher made before 1994 with a new ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher can save $40 a year on utility bills. And, using an ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator can cut your electricity bills by $165 over the life of your new appliance, according to the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Adding DIY Projects to the Shopping Weekend
For Texans who are game for tax-free holiday shopping and choose a local DIY retailer as their destination, TXU Energy offers a free online tool that can help them do a little homework before their store visit. They can use the tool to help them choose and purchase do-it-yourself supplies for projects that can add to the savings provided by ENERGY STAR appliances —and help make their homes even more energy efficient. 

The Brighten^SM Personal Energy Advisor, an energy savings solution from TXU Energy, is a tool that offers personalized tips and how-to videos that can help avoid wasting energy due to things like air leaks; faulty thermostats; insufficient insulation; water heater settings; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) inefficiency and more. It’s available for free to anyone via txu.com/energyadvisor.  

The tool asks a series of household energy questions that take just a few minutes to complete. After reviewing details like the size of the home, number of thermostats, the age of heating and cooling units and appliances and other details, the advisor delivers customized recommendations that can help consumers conserve energy around the house.

For each do-it-yourself task, the tool gives helpful details including the skill and effort level required, and information on the tools and materials needed to complete the task. It also provides useful DIY videos, with step-by-step instructions on  how to make the suggested changes at home.

“At TXU Energy, we know our customers care about saving energy, saving money and helping the environment,” said Jennifer Pulliam, director of innovation, TXU Energy. “And, we’re glad to help them do that with a number of our innovative online solutions. With energy efficiency top of mind for so many Texas shoppers this weekend, we’re hoping that we can add value to their shopping experiences with our Brighten^SM Energy Savings Solutions.”

Tax Free Shopping Online
For holiday shoppers looking to purchase smaller specialty items online, TXU Energy offers the Brighten^SM Online Energy Store. Tax-free ENERGY STAR items available via the site include light fixtures, ceiling fans, programmable thermostats, and one of the largest collections of CFLs on the Internet. The online store also offers other energy-efficient items like chimney balloons (to seal air leaks), hard-to-find bug-deterring and odor-eliminating CFLs, and motion-sensing smart power strips that automatically turn on and off. 

And, through txu.com, the company offers eligible customers the Brighten^SM iThermostat, a programmable thermostat that gives TXU Energy customers hands-on access to their real-time HVAC settings from virtually anywhere via Internet-connected PCs or smartphones.

ENERGY STAR-qualified products help consumers conserve precious energy resources. The Brighten^SM Online Energy Store provides energy savings solutions to help consumers manage energy consumption. For more information about the ENERGY STAR sales tax holiday weekend visit texaspowerfulsmart.org.

The Texas ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday Weekend begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 28, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day). 

About TXU Energy
TXU Energy is a market-leading competitive retailer that provides electricity and related services to approximately 2 million electricity customers in Texas. TXU Energy offers a variety of innovative products and solutions, allowing both its residential and business customers to choose options that best meet their needs, including exceptional customer service, competitively priced electricity service plans, innovative energy efficiency options, renewable energy programs and other electricity-related products and services.  Visit txu.com for more information about TXU Energy.  REP #10004.