Giving up control of your air conditioning may seem like a crazy idea here in Houston, but it's one Donna Heard says is saving her money.
"My power bill looks pretty good compared to others, real good," she said.
Last year, Heard signed up for a plan with Reliant Energy that gave her a Nest Internet-capable thermostat. When the load on the power grid gets too high, Reliant sends a signal to the Nest that increases the A/C's temperature, setting it a few degrees for 30 minutes.
"Most of the time when the energy rush hour came I was at work," Heard said.
Reliant gives Heard bill credits when the A/C shuts down. She can override the cut off signal and turn it back on if she chooses.
While Heard has a Nest, in some cases, a special thermostat is not required to get in on the savings.
"We would actually send an email or a text that says between these hours, lower your energy envelope," said Bill Clayton with Reliant Energy.
By turning off the A/C and other appliances, customers get a bill credit. It's offered by a few power suppliers in the area because keeping demand under control allows power companies to avoid building expensive new power plants.
Reliant also has a flat rate plan based on your annual usage that leaves your monthly bill the same amount for a full year, which may interest those on a fixed income.
"Give us a call and we can tell you the exact amount for your specific residence and it may be a good fit for you," Clayton said.
Bottom line: There are dozens of new power plans on the market from energy providers all over our area, so it's a good time to call your provider, no matter who they are to find out if one of those new plans can cut your power costs.