Your smartphone could be your best energy-saving friend

In the battle to save energy dollars during the blistering-hot Texas summer, your smartphone might be your best ally.

Smartphone apps can help you identify home energy deficiencies, optimize your heating and cooling routines and even help you increase your eco-savviness.

Here are five valuable tools you can use to take control of your home energy use.  

1. Your smart thermostat’s app
This might sound like an easy one, but many people install smart thermostats in their homes and never use them to their full potential. Smart thermostat apps make it easy to set temperature schedules based on the time of day and even by the season. The apps can use your cell phone location to tell when you’ve left the house and automatically adjust the temperature to save energy while you’re away. You can even regulate the temperature of your house while you’re on vacation. Get the most out of your model by looking it up on the internet and learning all its features and capabilities.

2. Energy Cost Calculator
If you’re using more energy than expected, it could be any number of devices or appliances like your refrigerator or your hair dryer that are draining your wallet. You can use the Energy Cost Calculator app to look up your gadgets and appliances to see which ones are using the most electricity. The app then calculates how much energy, on average, each device uses per month and how much it costs to run.

3. JouleBug
JouleBug is not just an energy-saving app. It is designed to help you go green in as many areas of your life as you like. It offers cost-saving tips and tracks your progress through a point system that keeps you motivated. You can also add friends to the app and compete to see who is being the most eco-savvy.

4. Kill-Ur-Watts
The Department of Energy’s “apps for energy” crowdsource challenge led to the creation of the Kill-Ur-Watts app. It lets users view hourly, daily and monthly home energy consumption. It also tracks yearly energy costs and offers guidance on what times to use your more costly appliances.

5. The MyOncor app
Don’t forget to download the MyOncor app as well. You can do things like manage your service requests, report an outage and get live real-time updates.

Whichever app or energy saving device you choose, you should visit Take a Load Off, Texas to learn about Oncor’s energy efficiency incentive programs, money-saving tips and other ways you can ensure your home is ready for the hottest and coldest seasons of the year.