March 24, 2023
Sam Houston Electric Cooperative consumer-members will see lower electricity costs in March and April due to a decrease in the wholesale cost of electricity. As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, Sam Houston EC passes wholesale power cost savings to our consumer-members. That’s why co-ops are different from other businesses.
Based on current wholesale power market, Sam Houston Electric Cooperative consumer-members will see a decrease in their cost of electricity in April. March electric bills reflected a cost decrease as well.
Natural gas is the primary fuel source for generating electricity in our area. For the past few years, natural gas prices have been extremely high, but now as prices are lowering, the wholesale cost of electricity is coming down as well, and the Cooperative is able to pass the savings to our consumer-members.
As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, Sam Houston EC is owned by its consumer-members and guided by a board of local Co-op members who understand the challenges local families face, especially with the current inflation impacting our nation.
Sam Houston EC’s leadership will continue to focus on the best interests of Co-op members and providing reliable electricity and excellent service.
Even with lower electricity costs, Sam Houston EC recommends members monitor their energy consumption to save even more.
“Recently the Cooperative added a daily chart of electricity consumption to the back of members’ bills, so every member can see how and when they consume electricity,” said Rachel Frey, chief communications officer. “Monitoring daily energy use can help establish habits that will save you money in the long run.”
Consumer-members can also use the mySamHouston app or online portal to monitor electricity use by the day or even by the hour, so they can take measures to reduce, conserve, and save.
As warm weather approaches, the Co-op encourages members to prepare now to take charge of your home’s energy consumption by following a few easy tips that don’t involve major upgrades.
- Adjust your thermostat closer to the temperature outside. Even 1 or 2 degrees can add up to great savings.
- When it’s hot outside, keep blinds and curtains closed.
- Wash your clothes in cold water and only run full laundry loads.
- Change your air conditioner’s filter to reduce the strain on your heating and cooling system.
- Examine windows and doors for air leaks. Repair any damage or install weatherstripping.
- Reduce the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees to save money and prevent scalding.
- Use fans in warm weather to move the air around to make you feel cooler. Turn them off when you leave the room.
- Unplug second refrigerators or freezers if you can’t keep them full.
- Turn off the drying function on your dishwasher and crack the door to allow dishes to air dry.
- Shut off your computer if you will be away from it for more than 20 minutes.
- Unplug cellphone chargers, laptops, TVs and game systems when not in use. If left plugged in, they still use energy. Check out smart power strips to simplify this task.
