Help In Choosing Electricity Provider (Arlington, Plano: house, price, versus)

[fatcat220]

FYI, Monday I asked the PUC for the number of customer complaints for several of the companies I could use. These are the numbers I just got back:

TXU Energy -- 1456
Stream Energy -- 284
Dynowatt -- 20
Green Mountain Energy Company -- 99
Ambit Energy, LP. -- 9
Gexa Energy -- 288
Commerce Energy -- 86
First Choice Power, Inc. -- 363

I'm not sure how this works out with respect to customer base, but I'll try to find out. I need to pull the trigger today.

Thanks for all the help and replies on this subject!

[socketz]

Originally Posted by NY - Dallas

Can you specify what if any additional energy efficient items/work you had your builder do?

Thanks

The big one was Radiant barrier. It will cost about $1500 extra. Supposed to save 35% per year in energy costs. Some folks at Texas A&M have done testing that shows it can save even more.

It blazes here in the summer, so this wasn't a corner I wanted to cut.

The one thing I didn't think regarding Radiant Barrier of is that it kills your cell coverage in the house (think giant sheet of tin foil over your house). But even in pre-sheetrock stages, you can feel how much cooler it keeps the house.

Low E windows, R38 insulation and at least a 14 Seer AC unit should be standard if you go with a good builder. Of course the facing of the home also makes a difference. North - South keeps alot of the direct sunlight out of your house, which also helps keep it cooler. Then there are ceiling fans, which help keep the AC from kicking on as frequently.

Since we have had so much rain recently, I'm thinking this summer may be a hot/muggy one.

[socketz]

As far as complaints, we'd probably need to know the customer base to equate the complaint stats to reality. TXU has alot, but we all know they are huge out here.

[KBilly]

Originally Posted by socketz

The big one was Radiant barrier. It will cost about $1500 extra. Supposed to save 35% per year in energy costs. Some folks at Texas A&M have done testing that shows it can save even more.
.................

I'd be interested to see that. All the RB studying I have done for the past year has not pointed to any hard facts like that. Sure, it keeps the attic cooler. But, if the attic is well insulated in a tight house, then the heat stays in the attic, RB or no RB.

Now, if you have HVAC equipment in the attic, ducts in the attic, it will help because they will not run as hot. But I have not seen anything that shows before/after 35% savings, for example.

[onrway2clt]

Originally Posted by socketz

The big one was Radiant barrier. It will cost about $1500 extra. Supposed to save 35% per year in energy costs. Some folks at Texas A&M have done testing that shows it can save even more.

It blazes here in the summer, so this wasn't a corner I wanted to cut.

The one thing I didn't think regarding Radiant Barrier of is that it kills your cell coverage in the house (think giant sheet of tin foil over your house). But even in pre-sheetrock stages, you can feel how much cooler it keeps the house.

Low E windows, R38 insulation and at least a 14 Seer AC unit should be standard if you go with a good builder. Of course the facing of the home also makes a difference. North - South keeps alot of the direct sunlight out of your house, which also helps keep it cooler. Then there are ceiling fans, which help keep the AC from kicking on as frequently.

Since we have had so much rain recently, I'm thinking this summer may be a hot/muggy one.

Will have to consider the radiant barrier. I think the builder I would end up going with is 13 seer. I think there are other insulation numbers to consider too like roof and i think the walls?

[fatcat220]

Hi All, thanks for all the feedback. I've signed up with Gexa Energy for the next year. I'll see how they do and keep researching the energy companies.

FYI, when I was living in Northern California, we had a Radiant Barrier foil system installed in our attic, along with wall installation (our California house had been built in 1962). The house, durning a previous owners remodel, had dual pane, thermal windows installed and fiberglass batt insulation in the attic. The RB and wall insulation definately helped with our energy bills and reduced the load on our AC and heating equipment. I'm enough of a believer in RB that I'll install it in our Plano house, when we can afford it.

[missbeth]

Good luck with Gexa. My husband says to sign up with them but if you google "Gexa sucks" you will find a TON of complaints about their customer service. I would like to go with them for their price rate, but I cant stand bad customer service.

[socketz]

Originally Posted by NY - Dallas

Will have to consider the radiant barrier. I think the builder I would end up going with is 13 seer. I think there are other insulation numbers to consider too like roof and i think the walls?

Did you put a contract on a house ? Same area we discussed earlier ? I drive past that area all the time.

If you google radiant barrier (also called Koolply Decking) you'll find alot of research online. Texas A&M has alot of very detailed research, all favorable.

This guy has some info that is more readable:
http://www.savenrg.com/baked.htm

Many builders I have spoke to here say that the difference in temp within the attic is substantially different with radiant barrier (i.e. closer to the temp outside vs ~30 degrees hotter). Per my previous post, the downside is that it plays havoc on your cell coverage in the house.

35% energy savings or good cell coverage in the house. Take your pick.

As for the SEER rating of the AC, I think they go as high as 17 SEER these days. However, I think at some point they take on a more complex internal design with multiple compressors that push the cost up while the efficiency tapers off and is minimal unless the volume is increased. I've yet to see anything higher than 14 offered in the homes I've looked at...I'm sure they probably offer higher SEER in the luxury homes over the 4500 sq/ft mark.

As for insulation, the horizontal areas should get insulation in the high 30s "R" rating while the walls will be much lower than that (R13). In areas that are in between horiz/vertical and slope, the "R" rating will be right in the middle of the two previously described. Also, make sure you also ask the builder about Low-E windows.

Since your looking in Frisco, I think most of what I'm describing is regulated by Frisco's strict energy efficient building codes (they are very forward thinking in this area). Even the older original homes were built to some pretty strict standards in this area.

PM me if you have any questions.

[onrway2clt]

Originally Posted by socketz

Did you put a contract on a house ? Same area we discussed earlier ? I drive past that area all the time.

If you google radiant barrier (also called Koolply Decking) you'll find alot of research online. Texas A&M has alot of very detailed research, all favorable.

This guy has some info that is more readable:
http://www.savenrg.com/baked.htm

Many builders I have spoke to here say that the difference in temp within the attic is substantially different with radiant barrier (i.e. closer to the temp outside vs ~30 degrees hotter). Per my previous post, the downside is that it plays havoc on your cell coverage in the house.

35% energy savings or good cell coverage in the house. Take your pick.

As for the SEER rating of the AC, I think they go as high as 17 SEER these days. However, I think at some point they take on a more complex internal design with multiple compressors that push the cost up while the efficiency tapers off and is minimal unless the volume is increased. I've yet to see anything higher than 14 offered in the homes I've looked at...I'm sure they probably offer higher SEER in the luxury homes over the 4500 sq/ft mark.

As for insulation, the horizontal areas should get insulation in the high 30s "R" rating while the walls will be much lower than that (R13). In areas that are in between horiz/vertical and slope, the "R" rating will be right in the middle of the two previously described. Also, make sure you also ask the builder about Low-E windows.

Since your looking in Frisco, I think most of what I'm describing is regulated by Frisco's strict energy efficient building codes (they are very forward thinking in this area). Even the older original homes were built to some pretty strict standards in this area.

PM me if you have any questions.

No contract yet, want to see how things go on my side, yes it is the same area we discussed.

I will pm you if I get close to putting a contract on the house and talk to you about energy items.

Thanks

[KBilly]

I have seen that study. There is no such thing as 4 identical homes, so his stats have no statistical merit. All houses face different ways to the sun, have different trees, different houses next to them affecting sun in late day, insulation is layed in differently, one is caulked differently, etc. etc. etc.

I am not suggesting that an RB is not effective in reducing attic temps. Lots of studies show that. I am saying that there is no proven, before-after stats -- that I have been able to find in the past year -- that clearly show this as it relates to HVAC consumption and electrical savings in a home.

In a tightly sealed home, I would suggest that putting the 1500 bucks into foamed attic insulation, a variable speed blower on your furnace / heat pump so that humidity control is maximized will give greater returns in consumption as well as comfort. Humidity control is paramount in this area, and there is nothing better for humidity control than a variable speed fan system -- nothing.

Too many people get multi-speed (not variable speed) 16 SEER systems and oversize and then wonder why their bills are still high and why the system runs on-off every 15 minutes and why they feel cold and clammy. It's because they scrimped on th HVAC design, duct design, and install. Or they believed their builder -- and all they do is put in builder grade systems as fast as they can. I have seen it over, and over and over again here over the past 5 years.

Ms Beth... Googling "Gexa sucks" returns no results whatsoever -- better have a confab with your hubby! If you do it without the quotes, then you get lots of returns -- but only 3 for Gexa that are 1 yr and 2 yrs old. The rest are for sucks and for Gexa and are not complaints. Now, go Google "TXU sucks" and see all the complaints you get.