Texas summers can be brutal. As the temperatures rise, your energy usage can too, which results in higher electricity bills. Texas daytime temps, depending on where you live, are often in the mid to upper 90s, typically rising to sustained 100-degree days and our lows are in the mid-70s. That’s a whole lot of heat!

Your cooling system during the summer months can account for 50% or more of your summer electric bills. Even if you haven't changed your thermostat setting, significant swings in outside temperature may cause your A/C to run longer and harder, which leads to an increase in electricity usage and cost. Here are a few examples:

• If it’s 88 degrees outside and 78 degrees inside, your cooling system will come on but not stay on too long because there is only a 10-degree difference.
• If it’s 108 degrees outside and 78 degrees inside, your cooling system will come on more often and stay on much longer to help make up for that 30-degree difference.

• Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or warmer with the fan switched to "auto," and you’ll spend 6 – 18% less on cooling than if you kept your setting at 72 degrees.
• Set your ceiling fans to run counterclockwise, keeping the warm air higher. Turn them off when you leave and save up to 8% on cooling costs.
• Adjust the thermostat to 82 degrees when you leave home and it’ll help you save even more

In addition, to extreme outside temperatures, the days in your billing cycle could have an impact on your bill. A normal TXU Energy bill cycle can range between 28-34 calendar days depending on your Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU). The meter read schedules are set by the TDUs and extra days in a billing cycle may cause an increase to your bill.

TXU Energy offers many convenient payment options:

Through MyAccount: Simply log into your MyAccount and select the Make a Payment option.

In person: Enter your zip code into our Payment Center Locator to find an authorized payment center near you to make a real time payment on your account.

Over the phone: Contact us.

Through your bank's bill pay site: If you use your bank's bill pay site, your bank will send us an electronic check (ACH) to pay your bill. Please contact your bank for expected payment delivery dates and details of their payment options.

By mail: Send a check and the remittance coupon at the bottom of your bill to TXU Energy, PO Box 650700, Dallas, TX 75265-0700. For faster processing, be sure to write your account number on your check and use the envelope provided with your bill.

It's a program that helps you smooth out seasonal highs and lows in your monthly electricity bills, so you have more predictable monthly payments. There's no fee to participate in TXU Energy Average Monthly Billing.

With this program, you don't pay less or more. Over the course of the year, you'll pay the same on this program as you would if you weren't on the program. However, the payments are pretty even throughout the year, so it's easier to manage your budget.