Texas summers can be brutal. As the temperatures rise, your energy usage can too, which results in higher electricity bills. Texas daytime temps, depending on where you live, are often in the mid to upper 90s, typically rising to sustained 100-degree days and our lows are in the mid-70s. That’s a whole lot of heat!

Your cooling system during the summer months can account for 50% or more of your summer electric bills. Even if you haven't changed your thermostat setting, significant swings in outside temperature may cause your A/C to run longer and harder, which leads to an increase in electricity usage and cost. Here are a few examples:

• If it’s 88 degrees outside and 78 degrees inside, your cooling system will come on but not stay on too long because there is only a 10-degree difference.
• If it’s 108 degrees outside and 78 degrees inside, your cooling system will come on more often and stay on much longer to help make up for that 30-degree difference.

To offset the increased usage, you can:

• Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or warmer with the fan switched to "auto," and you’ll spend 6 – 18% less on cooling than if you kept your setting at 72 degrees.
• Set your ceiling fans to run counterclockwise, keeping the warm air higher. Turn them off when you leave and save up to 8% on cooling costs.
• Adjust the thermostat to 82 degrees when you leave home and it’ll help you save even more

In addition, to extreme outside temperatures, the days in your billing cycle could have an impact on your bill. A normal TXU Energy bill cycle can range between 28-34 calendar days depending on your Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU). The meter read schedules are set by the TDUs and extra days in a billing cycle may cause an increase to your bill.