How To Manage Higher Energy Bills During Colder Seasons

When it comes to your energy bills, they can really throw off your finances during the colder seasons in Texas. We all know how expensive energy bills can get when you are trying to stay warm. But as stressful as it can be to pay a high bill, there are certain things you can do to get the help you need. Whether you lower your energy consumption yourself, you seek help from an organization, or see how a title loan or payday loan could assist you. Here are four tips you can follow to deal with higher energy bills in the coming colder months.

Use These 4 Tips To Deal With Higher Energy Bills

Keep Your Energy Consumption Low

The less energy you consume, the lower your bills are going to be. So, you might want to start by making adjustments to save money on heating. The good thing is, making these adjustments is easy! With just a few minor changes you make around your home, you can actually lower your energy consumption, which will mean a lower energy bill for you to deal with! To help get you started, here are a few things you can change right now:

• Check the insulation: You might want to consider adding insulation in your attic, around electrical outlets, and anywhere utilities enter your home. Your doors and windows can easily leak out plenty of heat as well. Installing weatherstripping around them or adding draft stoppers can make a huge difference. By the way, adding insulation to hot water pipes can help you raise the water’s temperature by up to 4 F, so that’s definitely something worth thinking about. All of these tips will help you avoid overworking your furnace and water heater which account for around 46% and 14% of your energy bill respectively.
• Adjust the temperature: Lower your thermostat a few degrees during the day and a couple more during the night. You will be able to save nearly 10% off your heating bill if you manage to turn the thermostat down by 7-10 degrees for around 8 hours per day. If you don’t have an energy-efficient water heater, consider keeping the temperature set at around 120 degrees and adding an extra layer of insulation around the tank to keep the heating element from turning on too often.
• Lower holiday lighting costs: If you still haven’t bought your light strings, opt for LED or ENERGY STAR-certified ones. By the way, turning the lights off at night can save you a small fortune, but you might sometimes forget to do that. To avoid such an issue, set your lights up to an electric timer.

Find Out If You Qualify For Financial Assistance

Once you’ve lowered your energy consumption as much as you can, the next thing you can do is look for help. There are organizations all around Texas that can help get you the financial assistance you need. Whether you join an organization based on the help you need or you take an assessment of your energy needs to find the right help for you, there are ways you can get assistance paying your bills. Here are a few organizations set to help you out:

• If you receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or if you’re part of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, you might be automatically eligible to participate in the Low-Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that can help you with energy bills, weatherization, and even some home repairs.
• You can also become part of the Weatherization Assistance Program. Simply reach out to your state weatherization administrator to find out if you qualify. Though one of the primary factors affecting eligibility is income, the administrators can also give priority to the elderly, families with children, and high-energy users.
• There are some organizations that allow you to participate in a free home energy assessment and receive energy upgrades (like smart thermostats, duct sealing, attic insulation, and so on). You would have to do your own research to find out if there are any organizations offering free energy audits in your area, but it's definitely worth it.

Take Out A Payday Loan

If you have already received a high energy bill and you don’t have enough money set aside to cover it, consider getting a payday loan for help. Such a lending option can help you avoid late payment fees and finally find peace of mind. In fact, when you come to Texas Car Title and Payday Loan Services, Inc., you can get between $100 - $1,200 if you qualify.

And we can help you find out if you can qualify for approval with our quick and easy process. All you have to do is go to our website and fill out the online application. Then, just come to the nearest store location and bring your most recent pay stub, your driver’s license or state-issued ID, and a blank check from your checking account and we can help you out.

Take Out A Title Loan

Now, as helpful as our payday loan can be when you have a high energy bill, it can only do so much. However, if you are really dealing with multiple late energy bills, you can also get a title loan right now from us. With this loan, we are using your lien-free vehicle title as collateral to secure the money. This means you have to be finished paying off your vehicle and there can’t be any current liens on your car title. Plus, your name has to appear on the title.

If you can meet these requirements, and you are a legal adult, you can go to our website to fill out the online application to see if you can qualify for approval. And one thing to keep in mind is that we will have to inspect your vehicle before we can make any kind of decisions on how much we can lend to you – which can be anything up to $15,000. All we need to see is your driver’s license or state-issued ID, your car, your title, and your most recent pay stub to continue.

Give Your Finances A Boost Today!

Extremely high energy bills can easily make you feel stressed out and overwhelmed. Especially, if you don’t have the funds necessary to cover the expense. If that ever happens to you, any of these tips can get you the money and help that you need. And if you really run into an emergency, allow us at Texas Title and Payday Loan Services, Inc. to offer you a helping hand with our payday loan or title loan. Take the first step right now by completing an inquiry form, and we’ll soon get in touch with you!

 

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.