AUSTIN, Texas — The blistering heat wave continuing throughout Austin can threaten the state’s power grid.
Aaron Jagdfeld, the CEO of energy technology company Generac, said there are tips Texans can follow to lower their bills.
"That time from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. is really when we want to try and focus on conservation, so the things around turning up the temperature, maybe shifting some of those home chores to a different part of the day, maybe not plugging your electric vehicle in until later on after 10 p.m., those are things that can really help the grid," Jagdfeld said.
Using a smart thermostat can cut down on energy use when you aren't home, saving upwards to 20% of energy costs.
Jagdfeld said the Texas power grid is under a lot of stress right now and holding off on energy use from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. is crucial. Homeowners can reduce the load on the grid by increasing temperatures in their home slightly.
"If you go from 72 degrees in your home to 75 degrees, that has a big impact that can save up to 10% of power, which really makes a big difference for our economy and for the utility companies in Texas," Jagdfeld said.
The other thing is making sure shades are down and ceiling fans are running.
"Everybody's getting home from work turning on their air conditioning, doing laundry, making dinner. So there's a lot of energy use at that point in the day. That's also the point the day where you start to see less solar production," Jagdfeld said.
Another tip that can apply during the winter months as well is insulating your pipes and home and having a backup generator.
"If there's an issue where the grid goes down, we really can help protect our homes, protect our families. There are other products that can help you do that," Jagdfeld said. "You can have battery storage units, you can have generators. So if we do lose the grid for a period of time, make sure that you're prepared to try and protect your home and your family with some kind of a plan – either a generator or battery or something, some combination of both of those devices."