Small Changes You Can Make for a Better Texas

You, too, can make a difference. By making small changes in your life, and encouraging friends and family to make changes, you can help make Texas a better place. Here are some tips to get you started:

Five Easy Energy Efficiency Changes for Less Than $10
Following these simple tips from Oncor's Take A Load Off, TexasSM and Smart TexasSM programs can help you save the environment and potentially save some money by conserving energy.

  • Set your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in the summer and 68 degrees or lower in the winter. Don't forget to use your ceiling fans, which can help keep you comfortable at higher thermostat settings.
  • Replace your current incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use 70 percent less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. CFLs cost around $5, but by replacing one 100-watt incandescent light bulb with a CFL, you can save more than $27 per year.
  • Turn off unused lights and electronics (TVs, radios, computers) when you leave a room.
  • Weather-strip and caulk around windows and doors to prevent drafts. A gap of just one-quarter inch can let in as much air as a softball-size hole.
  • Try line drying your clothes instead of using the clothes dryer, which uses six times more electricity than the washing machine. The average home spends $122 per year drying clothes in the clothes dryer.

Other Easy and Inexpensive Small Changes
While extremely important in Texas, energy efficiency isn't the only way to make Texas a better place.

  • Clean out your closet. Go through your closet, separating the clothes you wear from the ones you haven't worn in a long time. Donate these clothes to a local charity in need, like a homeless shelter.
  • Use a reusable cup, not a plastic water bottle or styrofoam cup for your drink. It only takes seconds longer, but using a reusable glass will keep a styrofoam cup or plastic bottle out of a landfill.
  • Carpool or use public transportation whenever possible. This can save you money on gas and parking fees and help the environment by reducing emissions. Passengers on trains and buses often use their riding time for reading or relaxing — another plus!
  • Pick up after yourself and others. Ever seen trash blowing down the street when walking to your work or car? Pick up what you can and dispose of it properly. No, its not your responsibility, but litter is everyone's problem. Keeping Texas beautiful helps us all.
  • Conserve more water. Turn off the faucet when not actually using it while brushing your teeth or washing your face. Try to take shorter showers, too, and use a low-flow showerhead. Low-flow showerheads may cost around $10 and can possibly save you much more than that in water and energy bills.
  • Share these tips with your friends and neighbors. Think of the positive impact we could have on Texas if everyone made one small change. Click here to see one creative way to share these tips.