Energy Saving Tips

The weather can have a huge impact on your electricity usage in North Texas and, for most Members, it's the single biggest factor affecting your bill. The summers are long and hot while the winters can be wildly unpredictable with at least a few long cold snaps.

Luckily, there are things you can do year-round to save electricity, and money, through the hottest summer and the coldest winter.

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May 23–25, 2026
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August 7–9, 2026
Back to School Sales Tax Holiday

Savings Tips

Year-round Winter Summer

Year-round

Make the "smart" choice in thermostats.

Reduce your hot water temperature.

Wash clothes in cold water.

Adjust your pool pump.

Put your fans to work while you are in the room.

A ceiling fan can create a wind chill, making the room seem as much as 4–6 degrees cooler. Set your fan to spin counterclockwise in the summer, but don't forget to turn off the fan when you leave the room.

Even in winter, ceiling fans can be used to help manage the interior climate. Ceiling fans should be clockwise in the winter, and the fan should run at the lowest speed. This pulls cool air up toward the ceiling, which in turn displaces the warm air that rises and collects near the ceiling

Seal up any leaks around windows and doors.

Check your insulation.

Service your HVAC system twice a year.

Put your blinds and curtains to work.

Change to energy-efficient lighting.

Winter

Turn down your thermostat, small changes can make a big difference.

Every degree above 68 degrees increases heating costs by up to 5 percent. Lower your thermostat 5-7 degrees when leaving home for more than 4 hours. However, if you have a heat pump, only reduce your thermostat setting 1-2 degrees when leaving home so the more energy intensive heating coils won't have to kick in to get the home back to 68 degrees when you return. Avoid using personal heaters as they can be unsafe and very costly.

Check the flue on your fireplace.

Have your furnace professionally serviced.

Summer

Turn up your thermostat, small changes can make a big difference.

Avoid using large appliances like ovens and washing machines during peak times.

Wash clothes in cold water.

Consider lowering the number of hours you use your pool pump.

Give yourself time to adjust to the warmer weather.

What else can affect your usage?

Home Apartment

Home

It’s common to compare fuel efficiency ratings and miles-per-gallon when shopping for a new vehicle. Factors such as the size of the engine, the vehicle’s weight and shape can all affect fuel economy.

Homes can also have certain characteristics that require more energy than others.

Here’s a list of factors that could affect your home’s energy usage and efficiency:

Why volume is important

What about multiple air conditioners?

The size of the AC unit also matters

Air conditioner sizes are measured in tons. There’s a common misconception that homes need 1 ton of AC for every 500 square feet of space. As explained earlier, square footage alone doesn’t take into the true volume of the space that needs to be cooled. CoServ recommends having a Manual J test done before buying a new air conditioner unit. The test takes into account ceiling height, type of insulation and the number of windows and exterior doors and will ensure you get a properly sized air conditioner.

Installing a system that’s too big or too small is inefficient

Newer appliances are more energy efficient

What about swimming pools?

The pool pump is the biggest user of energy for swimming pools, and it's the second-biggest energy user behind air conditioning overall during the summer. Single-speed pumps run at maximum revolutions per minute any time they are on. Variable speed pumps are more efficient because they can run at lower speeds to save on electricity.

Pools with single-speed pumps should run no more than one hour per 10 degrees of daily average temperature. So if the average daily temperature is 90 degrees, the pool pump should run for nine hours per day.

What about windows?

A normal wall on a home has brick, siding, plaster or stone along with insulation, wood and drywall to block the outside heat from coming in. A wall will have an efficiency rating between R-19 and R-22.

On the other hand, even an efficient, double-paned window has a rating of R-3. It’s essentially a hole in the wall that allows a large amount of heat transfer. This can be reduced by planting large trees and bushes in front of that window so there’s natural shade.

Older homes tend to have better shade than newer homes where it takes time for the young plants to grow.

Solar screens, blackout curtains and shutters are other great options for reducing heat transfer.

Orientation matters

Apartment

Did you know nearly 20% of our Members live in apartments? CoServ powers more than 60,000 units across North Texas and the number continues to grow with new complexes being built in nearly all the cities we serve.

If you’re shopping for an apartment in CoServ’s service area, it’s important to know not all apartments are created equal when it comes to energy usage. A unit in the same building with the same rent could have a different energy profile.

Here are some things to consider when hunting for a new apartment:

Why volume is important

What floor are you on?

What type of heating does the unit have?

How old is your apartment?

How new are the appliances?

Orientation matters

If your apartment faces west, there will be heat gain on a summer afternoon, especially if there’s a large window on that wall. It’s similar for east-facing windows in the morning, though to a lesser degree.

During the winter, north-facing walls will take the brunt of the cold north winds.

The location of the thermostat is also a factor. If it's in a west-facing wall during the summer or north facing wall during the winter, it will have a more difficult time holding a temperature.

Energy Saving Tips

Tax-Free Holidays

Savings Tips

Make the "smart" choice in thermostats.

Reduce your hot water temperature.

Wash clothes in cold water.

Adjust your pool pump.

Put your fans to work while you are in the room.

Seal up any leaks around windows and doors.

Check your insulation.

Service your HVAC system twice a year.

Put your blinds and curtains to work.

Change to energy-efficient lighting.

Turn down your thermostat, small changes can make a big difference.

Check the flue on your fireplace.

Have your furnace professionally serviced.

Turn up your thermostat, small changes can make a big difference.

Avoid using large appliances like ovens and washing machines during peak times.

Wash clothes in cold water.

Consider lowering the number of hours you use your pool pump.

Give yourself time to adjust to the warmer weather.

What else can affect your usage?

Why volume is important

What about multiple air conditioners?

The size of the AC unit also matters

Installing a system that’s too big or too small is inefficient

Newer appliances are more energy efficient

What about swimming pools?

What about windows?

Orientation matters

Why volume is important

What floor are you on?

What type of heating does the unit have?

How old is your apartment?

How new are the appliances?

Orientation matters

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