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ERCOT, or The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, is responsible for providing nearly 30 million Texans with the electric power every year. This council has recently released some troubling predictions regarding the imbalance of supply and demand, and the possibility for several energy alerts to take place during the summer months of 2019.
ERCOT predicts that this summer will see record electric use from its residents. With supply predicted to be low, and demand speculated to be at levels that we haven’t seen before, electric rates will be at unprecedented levels.
ERCOT also has depleted reserves, causing an even greater imbalance and the possibility of steep rate hikes during the summer of 2019. In recent years energy usage has been peaking and growing exponentially. There were 16 peak demand records between 2016 and 2019 alone. This information, in conjunction with a SARA (Service Availability and Readiness Assessment) report that looked at recent energy trends and assessed the weather conditions that we can expect in the upcoming summer is somewhat troubling. It concludes that energy usage will be at a high point, while supply is at one of its lowest points ever.
As a result, Texan consumers can expect to pay more for their electric bills as electric rates skyrocket. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to prepare for this energy imbalance and the impact that it will have on our pocketbooks. You can conserve energy and take much less of a financial hit during the summer of 2019.
How Can Texas Keep Energy Costs Down in The Summer Of 2019?
Conservation is the name of the game when it comes to dealing with a supply and demand imbalance. There’s nothing that you can do about the rise in electric rates overall, but you can protect yourself from taking such a large hit by using smart conservation and supplier switching to your benefit.
Change Electric Suppliers
Texas is a fully deregulated market with abundance of available electric options available. You can simply visit one of the electric comparison websites and select an offer that fits best. Since many 3rd party suppliers would like to bid for your business, it makes sense to compare electric rates first before settling with a particular plan.
Fans Are Your Friend
Texas can be roasting hot in the summer so it’s really tempting to blast the air conditioning. Resist the urge to turn your inner space into an igloo. Turning down the air conditioning and using a ceiling fan can save you tons of money on your electric bill. Consider opening up some windows and letting a cool breeze come into your space.
Invest in A Smart Thermostat
Smart thermostats are intuitive enough to learn your schedule and really help to cut back significantly on energy costs. They can be adjusted and programmed from your smartphone, so you never have to run the air conditioning unnecessarily if you’re running late home from work. Smart thermostats are also really easy to read, with large numbers that let you know exactly what temperature you’re aiming for.
Consider Eliminating Heat Build-Up Inside of Your Home
It is not such a great idea to bake a turkey dinner on the hottest day of summer. Appliances like stoves will heat up your living space and make it necessary to run the air conditioning to an even greater degree. Whenever possible, try to eliminate how much heat you are generating inside of your home. Consider firing up the grill instead of pre-heating the stove.
Clean Your Filters
Dirty air conditioning filters are significantly less efficient than those that are clean and fresh. Clean out your filters before running your air conditioning and you’ll see a big decrease in your energy use.
Demand is projected to far exceed supply this summer, but there are still plenty of ways that you can keep your electric bills from skyrocketing too far out of control by following the tips outlined here!
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