Home Energy Efficiency in Dallas

Making Your Home Comfortable and Efficient

Here are some important facts to consider when think about home energy efficiency in Dallas.

• Texas residents pay around $0.12 per kilowatt-hour for electricity and nearly $10 per thousand feet cubed of natural gas, which is fairly average for the United States. Meanwhile, the average Texan's electricity bill in 2007 was $140 per month — about $40 more than the national average, which means there is definitely room for improvement.
• While Texas is the top crude-oil producer in the nation, it also leads the nation in wind-power production with more than 2,000 wind turbines in West Texas alone.
• Dallas also has great solar potential, receiving around 5 kWh per meter squared of solar radiation daily.
• Nearly 70 percent of the houses in Texas were built before 1980, which means there is a lot of room for energy efficiency upgrades.

Home Energy Audits in Dallas

An energy audit is a great tool to discover just how energy efficient (or not) your home really is. A professional auditor will test your home as an interconnected system to help you identify what upgrades will have the biggest impact on your utility bills.

If you'd like to find out — for free and within minutes — whether your home is a good candidate for an energy audit and for upgrades, take our online home energy report. We'll give you a home energy score and estimate your savings potential.

Home Energy Upgrades in Dallas

If you're ready to take a crack at lowering your utility bills and making your home more comfortable, here are some projects that may help:

• Insulation: Proper insulation is important for keeping cooling bills down because of Dallas' characteristically hot summers. When outside air is allowed to enter the home, air conditioner systems are forced to run for increased periods of time, which is hard on both the environment and your budget.
• Air Conditioning Systems: Having an up-to-date system with an ENERGY STAR label will also help you keep you utility costs down. A professional HVAC specialist will be able to ensure that your air conditioning system is running efficiently, or they can replace your outdated one altogether with an energy-efficient model.
• Window Treatments: Another simple upgrade to consider is using heat reflective window treatments on all glass surfaces, especially on homes with large windows or sliding glass doors. Up to 85 percent of heat energy can be blocked from entering the home by installing the treatments without compromising the free daylighting you're getting from the sun.
• Geothermal Heat Pump: Although winters in Dallas are mild, you still need a heating system to keep your home comfortable. A geothermal heat pump, which essentially transfers "free" heat from the ground into your home, may be a worthwhile investment.

Have a project in mind? Contact an energy expert to get started.

Energy Rebates and Tax Credits in Dallas

Home Efficiency Upgrades: Home Efficiency Upgrades: Garland Power & Light is currently offering up to $1,550 in rebates for homeowners who increase the efficiency of their home by buying a more energy-efficient air conditioning systems or heat pump and by weatherizing their homes through upgrades like insulation, air sealing and window replacements. All appliance and equipment replacements must be upgraded with an ENERGY STAR model. Additionally, Oncor Electric Delivery offers a Residential Energy Efficiency Program that provides rebates on clothes washers, dishwashers, water heaters, heat pumps, air conditioners and more.

Through 2010, the federal government offers a Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of different equipment and measures for up to $1,500. Some of the upgrades covered under the credit include replacement of water heaters, furnaces, roofs, windows, doors and more.

Renewable Energy Systems: The U.S. government offers an even larger tax credit (30 percent of installation costs with no cap) for installing renewable energy systems such as solar panels, wind turbines and biomass systems. Other renewable energy incentive programs offered by local utility companies include a Solar Water Heating Incentive Program and PV Incentive Program — both offered by Oncor Electric. Finally Texas New Mexico Power also offers a renewable energy incentive program called the Solar PV Pilot Program. All of the programs listed on this page can be found on the Rebates and Tax Credits area of the EnergySavvy site.

Check out all energy rebates and tax credits in Dallas.

Home Energy Resources from EnergySavvy

1. Home Energy Report: How efficient is your home? Find out how to improve your home's efficiency and comfort, without spending tons of money, with EnergySavvy's free online home energy report.
2. Energy Rebate and Tax Credit Directory: EnergySavvy's guide to energy rebates and tax credits can help you find all the energy tax credits and rebates that are available locally for you.
3. Energy Contractors: If you've got a project in mind to make your home more energy efficient and comfortable and you'd like to talk with an energy expert about it, we can help. We focus on the relatively small group of contractors nationwide who really understand home energy auditing and energy retrofits.
4. Educational Content: Home energy efficiency is complicated stuff. It's not just as simple as laying some insulation in the attic. We've put together a library of easy-to-read topics that cover the basics of energy efficiency. And if you have a question about anything, you can ask one of our energy experts using our "Ask an Expert" feature.

Last Updated: May 2010

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