In Houston Texas you may have noticed as of recent that electric rates are higher then you may have ever remembered them being. Many people are asking why, why why is this happening!!! The reason electric rates have been rising is due to the price increase of natural gas. Natural Gas is at a 2 year high and Houston electric rates have come up along with the price of natural gas. Also take into consideration that the weather guys did not expect for snow in Dallas and Houston in March. Many many people turned on their natural gas and electric powered heaters to heat their homes in the spring. This unexpected season weather change caused electric rates to continue up. Even though many people try to time the electric market by locking in on a mild season you may find that it isn’t that simple, just like buying a stock in the market may not go in the direction you may have anticipated so it is with the energy and commodities markets. The problem with trying to time the market is that seasons are unpredictable as is the case for this Houston Texas Spring.
A 3 month electric rate is much higher right now then a 6 month electric rate and a 12 month electric rate in Houston is a bit higher then a 36 month electric rate. If I were going to sign an electric contract I would go with the 12 month electric agreement and try again next year. It is just too hard to time the market although many people try. Weather is too unpredictable and natural gas is too volatile which directly effects Houston Texas electricity.
Affordable energy can be had in two ways during a high market. Installing radiant barrier in the attic of a house can reduce your electric bill up to 30% and up to 60% if you install it in the exterior walls as well. Radiant Barrier is a cheap investment for the amount of money you can recoup in a little under a year. What this stuff does is block out 98% of the radiant heat from the sun from ever entering the house. This keeps your house cool in the summer and hot in the winter. You may have seen this new space age insulation at Lowes or Home Depot. It is kind of expensive if you buy and try to install it yourself. If you call an energy efficiency company they can buy and install it cheaper then you could just buy the material itself. For small projects you might want to just go to Lowes and Home Depot but for bigger jobs call an energy efficiency expert who specializes in Radiant Barrier technology. There is one in the East Texas area that can handle business from Tyler Texas clear to Houston Texas if necessary. The companies name is Energy Improvements.
Another way to reduce your electric rate is to lock in an electric rate with the lowest cost provider and get on an MCPE variable electric rate if you qualify. You must use atleast 1,000,000 kWh a year to qualify for MCPE which is a few cents cheaper then a fixed rate. If you do not qualify then you can bid down the electric rate by using a qualified energy consultant who can find you the lowest cost Houston electric rate in the market. There are many other ways to reduce the cost of your electricity like off grid systems such as wind turbines, and solar panels but this is outside the budgets for many and not easy to implement within city limits.
If you have questions about your Houston electric bill or an energy quote a different Houston electric provider has given you then please contact us so we can help you in making an informed consumer decision in regards to your Houston electric contract.