TAMPA, Fla. — Staying cool this sweltering summer can come at a cost.
“It’s probably like $170 right now for a 3-bedroom house, so it’s definitely high,” said Whitney Nichols.
People in Tampa have different ways of balancing that bill while still finding some relief at home.
“I keep my air on full blast during the summer because I’m way too hot, and I cannot be hot,” said Nichols.
“Especially if we’re away for a weekend, I’ll turn it down maybe eight degrees, and you come in, and you can feel it, and then you turn it right back down to where it normally is, and you’re back in air-conditioned comfort,” said Allen Guy.
For TECO customers, Tampa Electric has a few programs to help you save, including Prime Time Plus.
“It is a way for folks to save some money on their power bill every month, basically by not doing much at all,” said Tampa Electric spokesperson Cherie Jacobs.
It’s a new program that’s been around for about a year. Right now, about 800 customers have signed up.
Here’s how it works: customers will allow TECO to temporarily turn off your heating and cooling system (HVAC), water heater, and pool pump if you have one during times of extremely high demand for electricity.
In turn, you’ll earn monthly bill credits.
“It’s very specific times, and it’s only in times of extreme need,” said Jacobs. “We notify customers that we’ll be doing that, and then for example, you can decline. You can say, don’t use my air conditioner today on this program. I really, I need my air conditioner today.”
Those credits will vary. It’s all based on the equipment you choose to connect to Prime Time Plus. It could be as much as $12 a month, or $144 a year, for the average customer.
“That is a credit every month, regardless of whether we activate the program in that month,” said Jacobs.
TECO said a small control device used to communicate with your water heater and pool pump will be installed near the appliances.
Jacobs also explained another benefit is they’ll install for free a smart thermostat as part of the program.
“The cheapest power plant for Tampa Electric is the one we don’t have to build,” said Jacobs. “So, if our customers use less electricity, even slightly less electricity, that can help defer those power plants, push that can down the road.”
If the program isn’t your cup of tea, here are some other energy-saving tips:
- set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher
- use ceiling fans only when people are in the room
- avoid appliances like the oven that will heat up your kitchen
TECO also pointed out its free Energy Planner program as a tool to save money, which allows you to plan your highest energy use during the time of day when demand for electricity is lowest.
“We survive, but we’re just hanging on until October,” Guy said.
I-Team Investigator Adam Walser is looking into another case involving a Manatee County man who discovered serious problems with seatbelts and an airbag in two different used cars he bought from the same dealer.
