Little tips can save you from big bills

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Gina Hinojosa lives in a Central Austin home built in 1936, which presents its challenges for the conscious mother of two always striving for efficiency in all aspects.

"But then it also has some advantages," she said. "The walls are really thick, so really, it keeps in some cool air. We updated a lot of the windows to keep it insulated. So really, in some ways, it is already energy-efficient."

Still Hinojosa said she does what she can around the home to make sure she's not being wasteful -- keeping lights off and consistently aware of the thermostat temperature.

Plus, the old home came with some big bonuses: tall trees that keep the lot and home shaded. That's something energy officials said is a great way to shield the sun from coming inside your house, especially if it's on the west side.

"It's already very hot, and ... when you save energy, you ultimately save money on your electric bill," said Austin Energy spokeswoman Leslie Sopko.

"There are some things, like the doors could be better sealed," said Hinojosa. "One thing I want to do -- and if I get around to it -- I would like to insulate the attic."

Hinojosa did that at the house she was in before, also an older home. And that was a big help during the summer.

"It cut down our [air conditioning] bills by about 20 percent," said Hinojosa. "Not only does it save money, but you feel better about not wasting that energy that you don't need to."

"Insulation is a real huge way to save energy inside of your home," said Sopko. "What Austin Energy has learned is that most older homes in Austin have little or no insulation."

In fact, the average home only has 4 inches of attic insulation. Sopko suggests you have 12- to 13 inches.

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Little tips can save you from big bills