Summer is right around the corner, but this year, hot temperatures began early. As the temperature rises, bills typically climb as we put our air conditioning units to the test to stay cool. Now is the time to get your home ready and set up programs to deal with seasonal costs. Here are some steps that you can take to help make seasonal bills more manageable. Sign up for Budget Billing to avoid surprises on your bills. Our Budget Billing program helps smooth out your costs by allowing you to pay the same amount each month, no matter how hot it gets, based on your average annual usage. The amount may be adjusted periodically to reflect changes in energy use or pricing. Instead of seeing spikes during the hottest time of the year, a consistent bill can help you better manage your budget. We hear that our customers are more satisfied when they know what’s coming. Sign up at tep.com/budgetbilling/ and read about the difference it made for one customer tep.com/news/ how-paying-the-same-bill-each- month-helps-one-customer/ . Use your air conditioning efficiently. Air conditioning is far and away one of the largest uses of electricity in homes, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Set your Getting Ready for the Summer Heat with TEP By Sarah Tully Lev, Tucson Electric Power HEAT SAFETY
more about our Time-of-Use and other flexible pricing plans that reward energy conservation during times of high energy demand: tep.com/rates Tap into our other energy-saving programs. We offer a range of no-cost and low-cost ways to trim your energy use across your home. These include energy-saving tips for every room in your home, including a video series and other simple tips. We also offer rebates on energy-efficient products and services. Find our videos, tips and rebates here: tep.com/residential-energy-saving-tips/ Reach out if you’re struggling. You may qualify for bill payment assistance. If you’re behind on your bills, we have options to help make paying your bill a bit easier: tep.com/payment-assistance . Want to review your options? A member of our Customer Care team can walk you through which strategies are a good fit for how you use energy. Call us at 520-623-7711. At TEP, we’re also ramping up for the summer months. We prepare all year long to make sure our infrastructure is operating efficiently to take care of our customers when energy is needed the most. We work hard to advantage of renewable energy and be ready to provide electricity at peak times.
thermostat at the highest comfortable temperature to minimize your cooling costs. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat at 78 degrees in the summer. You can also use ceiling or oscillating fans to keep air moving so you feel cooler without increasing air conditioner use. Make sure to use shades, blinds or curtains to keep sunlight out, especially during the afternoon in rooms facing west. Regularly maintaining your unit also keeps it operating efficiently. TEP offers rebates on HVAC tune-ups, coil cleans and refrigerant recharge to maintain functionality of cooling units. It’s best to schedule your maintenance before the summer months to be ready to stay cool. Find more information about our rebates and programs at tep.com/efficient-home-program . Track your usage. With our online energy tracker, My Energy Usage at tep.com/ my-energy-usage/ you can review your daily and hourly consumption and compare it to your historic usage. You can also review on-peak, off-peak, and demand usage for the month. Log in to your TEP account online or on our mobile app to get started. In addition to helping you save energy, learning about your usage allows you to determine which of our pricing plans might be the best fit. Learn
Page 6 | May & June 2026, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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