7:46 PM Thu, Jul 02, 2009 | Permalink
Terri Gruca
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It's not all that surprising that our record breaking heat is starting to hit our pocketbooks. Many Austinites are just started to get their firsts electric bills of the summer.
Austin Energy does charge more for electricity during the summer months because of the demand. You pay the same for the first 500 kWh but after that between May and October you pay 7.82 cents per kWh versus the 6.02 cents you pay November through April.
What's average?
So what's average? Austin Energy says the average homeowner uses about 1,000 kWh per month for a home that's about 1700 square feet. The average bill during the summer is $154 between June and September. It's $69 for October through May.
What if your bill is higher?
If your bill is higher than average there are several things you can do to help improve the efficiency of your home. And there are some pretty big incentives to make those changes now.
Rebates and Tax Credit
You can get up to $1,575 dollars worth of rebates for air conditioning, attic insulation, solar screens, caulking and weather stripping.
You can find a list of all of the incentives provided locally here.
That's not all. Making improvements to your home may also allow you to earn some tax credits--up to 30 percent of the cost of many upgrades like windows, insulation and roofs. Austin Energy says you can get the tax credit on top of the rebate, which in some cases can cut your costs in half.
Here's a list of all the federal tax credits being offered right now.
More Energy Savings Advice
The Department of Energy has put together some terrific guides to help you save money cooling your home. You can find them here.
There's also a guide on how to do your own home energy audit.
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Terri:
I do not know how to reach you for a personal comment. I think that you and Tyler have brought a professional and 'together' look to the set by color coordinating your clothing for the newscast! Very smart and cool look... Keep up all the good ideas you have brought to Austin.
I listened to the interviews you were having about people and their high electric bills.These people indicated that they were keeping their central air on a higher temp but were running their paddle fans 24/7. I was told by my electric company in Florida and I am sure it is the same here,that 1 paddle fan running 24/7 will cost you $25.00-$30.00 per fan each month. So in the long run very limited use of the fans may bring down the bill.
Thanks