Owning a property in Austin, Texas can result in high energy bills. If you aren’t taking the necessary precautions for things like your energy use then your Austin energy bill could be daunting when it arrives. To avoid financial pains caused by inflated power bills we’ve gathered some tips on how to become more energy efficient in your Austin, Texas home.
Turn Off & Unplug Unused Electronics
Think of home right now. How many electronics are plugged into the wall at this time? Probably much more than you actually realize. Americans are spending more than $12 billion annually to power the electronics in their homes, and your Austin property isn’t safe from the financial burden of doing so unless your actively monitoring what electronics are feeding on your power. A great way to handle limiting the consumption of your devices is to take advantage of power strips. Every single night when you go to bed or every day when you leave for work you can turn the power to these strips off. This method saves you power and money over the long term by disabling your devices when they aren’t in use.
Installing energy efficient appliances and brands can have a big impact on your energy consumption. When buying new appliances for your Austin property keep an eye out or ENERGY STAR-labeled products or any other energy efficient certification so you know what you’re getting.
Your Austin Property’s HVAC System
Heating and cooling your Austin home can feel like a roller coaster at times. Over this past year it feels as if we’ve experience the worst of every season, minus the snowfall the rest of the country has experienced. This can lead to wildly varying electricity bills as the temperature goes from 30 degrees to 100+ degrees.
Having a system that is programmable can save you loads of money in those wild times. With this you can schedule the temperature of your Austin home for when you’re away and for when you are at home.
Be sure to consistently replace the filters on both air conditioners and furnaces to keep them performing best and helps reduce allergens such as Cedar that filters into your home.
Your Home’s Lighting
When’s the last time you had to pull up a chair and replace your light bulbs? If it’s been a while it might be time to visit the idea of replacing the lights in your house to more energy efficient types and brands. If you’re home still has incandescent bulbs you should switch immediately. Once you make the switch to LED & CFL bulbs you can see a decrease in energy used by your lights in the range of about 70%. No joke! It also goes without saying but we’re going to say it anyway – be sure to turn off the lights when they aren’t in use.
Taking the time to make these small adjustments can save you money on your Austin energy bill and bring your energy consumption way down. As the summer approaches and A/C bills go up be sure to implement these changes to see a difference in your property’s efficiency. Do you have questions on how to make your property more efficient? Give us a call today (512.617.6766) or shoot us an email to connect with an Austin property manager.
