How to Build Better Energy Habits in 2026

A new year is a great time to reset routines and set new goals, and that includes how much electricity you use and how much you spend on it. Building better energy habits doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s not about doing everything perfectly. It’s about understanding your consumption patterns and how they affect your bill. Once you do that, you can make small, intentional changes that will build up into big savings over time. Here are some steps for building better energy habits in 2026:

Understand What Consumes the Most Power

The first step to building better energy habits is knowing which appliances and behaviors use the most electricity. Heating, cooling and everyday appliances tend to have the biggest impact on your usage. Habits like leaving lights on and unused electronics plugged in have a smaller impact, but they add up over time. Without visibility, it’s easy to underestimate how much power you’re actually using. Tracking your usage regularly takes the guesswork out of it.

Learn How Time-of-Use Rates Work

Electricity rates don’t always remain constant throughout the day. They fluctuate at different hours. Time-of-use rates are the different prices you pay per kilowatt-hour of power used, depending on the time of day you use them. Power used during peak hours costs more than power used during off-peak hours or discount hours. Understanding when electricity is more expensive can help you shift certain activities in your routine, like when you wash laundry or cook, to lower your consumption during those peak times. Time-of-use rates vary based on your provider and the time of year, so keep that in mind as you make adjustments to your routine.

Know the Average Electric Bill in Your Area

One of the most helpful things you can do when trying to build better energy habits is understand the average usage and energy costs of others in your area. This gives you a baseline to work from as you set goals and identify how your consumption and costs compare. Keep in mind that the average household’s electric bill in Texas depends on a few key factors, like: 

• The specific area or city
• Rates per kilowatt-hour 
• Size of the home
• Number of people living in the home
• The time of year
• Individual energy habits

Set Monthly Energy Goals that Make Sense

Without goals, it’s difficult to keep yourself on track. Use the information you’ve gathered about what uses the most energy, time-of-use rates, and the average energy consumption and costs of families in your area to help you set realistic goals for your household. For example, one of your goals could be to do energy-intensive activities during off-peak hours or to reduce your home’s overall consumption by a set number of kilowatt-hours per month. 

Remember, your goals have to make sense for your household and your routine in order to be attainable. Don’t set goals based on uneven comparisons, like setting a usage goal that matches a one-bedroom apartment when you have a three-bedroom house. Having a realistic target sets you up for success and makes it easier for you to track your progress.

Plan to Practice More Efficient Habits

After you take time to understand your current usage and set some goals, you can start planning which habits you want to focus on improving. Start with simple changes like switching to energy-efficient bulbs, unplugging unused devices and turning off lights when you leave a room. Over time, you can build up to more intensive changes, like choosing a different time to cook, do dishes and wash laundry, which will require more noticeable adjustments to your routine.

Now that you have a plan, building better energy habits in 2026 will naturally follow. You don’t have to change everything at once. Just focus on being intentional and consistent, and watch how the savings add up! To save even more on your power bills, consider switching to prepaid power from Pronto Power, a Texas electric company that puts the control in your hands. With Pronto Power, you pay for what you use, as you use it. You also enjoy real-time usage tracking to help you identify more opportunities to save. Get started today by giving us a call at (844) 621-2852!