Home Energy Efficiency in Houston

Overview

Houston's climate is notorious for excessive humidity and high temperatures. You might say the city's four seasons are hot, sticky, hotter and unbearable! So while Houston residents don't have high heating costs, air conditioning bills can be huge. That is why energy-efficient homes are vital for Houston homeowners.

Making Your Home Comfortable and Efficient

If energy efficiency is a concern in your household, here are some facts you should know.

Houston residents pay a premium price for electricity from CenterPoint Energy and TXU, with rates starting at around $0.14 per kilowatt-hour and ranging upwards of $0.20-$0.25 depending on the plan.
Texas is the largest producer of natural gas in the United States, which may be why natural gas for Texans is relatively cheap at around a dollar less than the national average, which is $10.50 per thousand cubic feet.
ENERGY STAR recommends that Houston residents have at least R30-R60 rated insulation in their attics. Although insulation is usually thought of as keeping warm air in, it also plays an important role in keeping cool air in during summer's hottest months.
Nearly 70 percent of the homes in Texas were built before 1980. Upgrading insulation in older homes is important because most have only three or four inches of insulation. ENERGY STAR recommends adding R25-R38.

Home Energy Audits in Houston

Want to make your home more energy efficient but not sure where to start? An energy audit is a great way to get a list of suggestions on how you can make your home energy efficient, comfortable and more affordable. A professional energy auditor will test your home to find out where air is seeping in and out and locate any areas of inefficiency like an old refrigerator or poorly installed insulation. Audits typically cost a few hundred dollars, but they usually find enough easy fixes that they will quickly save you that much 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 Houston

Here are some common energy efficiency upgrades that you might want to take advantage of.

Radiant Roof Barriers: For Houston homeowners, some options for energy upgrades include installing a "green" attic barrier, such as foil insulation, to achieve energy savings of up to 40 percent.
Reflective Roofing: If your traditional asphalt shingles need replacing, consider upgrading to a white metal roofing material that will help keep your attic cooler similar to the way a white T-shirt helps keep your body temperature down on a hot, sunny day.
Air Sealing: By closing up the leaky areas around your windows and doors, outlets on exterior walls and around chimneys, you can save a lot of money on your energy bills because your air conditioner won't have to work as hard to keep your home cool.
Energy-Efficient Windows: Windows can be expensive and might not be the first upgrade your auditor recommends, but if you're remodeling or need to replace them anyway, choose windows with an ENERGY STAR label and a low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC). A more affordable option is to add window coverings that will reduce the amount of heat that can pass through you windowpanes.
Solar Energy Systems: With Houston's endless sunny days, solar energy offers great potential in this city, although the initial cost of installation can be prohibitive. For this reason, it's important to make your home as energy efficient as possible before investing in solar so that you can buy a smaller and more affordable system to power your home and use the energy efficiently. Solar roof panels can provide all the electricity a home needs, effectively enabling homeowners to live "off the grid."

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

Energy Rebates and Tax Credits in Houston

Home Efficiency Upgrades: CenterPoint Energy offers incentives for upgrading attic, wall and crawlspace insulation, replacing windows, air conditioners, water heaters, refrigerators and improving weatherization measures. The federal government also offers a residential energy efficiency tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost up to $1,500 for upgrading heat pumps, furnaces, water heaters, windows, skylights, doors, roofs and insulation.

Renewable Energy Systems: Texas New Mexico Power offers incentives up to $25,000 for installing a solar panel system to power your home. Green Mountain Energy also offers incentives for solar as well as tidal, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric renewable energy systems.

Texas offers a property tax exemption on renewable energy systems, which means your property taxes won't increase because of a renewable energy system. Also, the federal government offers an income tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of a wind, solar, biomass or fuel cell system. This tax credit is set to last through 2010.

Check out all energy rebates and tax credits in Houston.

Home Energy Resources from EnergySavvy

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.
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.
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.
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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