The basics

Their goals

The Vegas live in an older home which was built in 1956. It was in need of many energy efficiency upgrades when they entered the TXU Energy Power Saver Challenge 2. The home had many of the original features and appliances and was a drain on their energy consumption. They were pleased to get some ideas and assistance to improve the energy efficiency of their 53-year old home. “We were a very green family with not much green in our wallets for energy efficiency improvements”, said Christin. “We greatly appreciated the help from TXU Energy!”

Their improvements

• Replaced all light bulbs with CFLs
• Replaced outdoor lighting
• Added LED hallway lighting
• Installed new ceiling fans with CFL light kits
• Added shower head adapters for hot water conservation
• Replaced washing machine with new ENERGY STAR® model
• Removed energy-inefficient extra refrigerator
• Replaced eight (8) single pane windows with double pane argon gas filled, low E windows
• Added solar film to windows
• Sealed infiltration gaps (closet, sinks, plumbing, vents, switches, outlets)
• Added attic insulation – blown-in fiberglass
• Added A/C return vent and purchased reusable A/C filters
• Cleaned outside A/C unit
• Purchased Smart Power Strips for electronics
  

Their story

The Vega family of Corpus Christi, Texas includes - Matt, a student and stay-at-home dad; Christin, a teacher; and their 5-year-old son, Cash. As a one-income family, the Vegas were trying hard to save energy and money while making affordable energy-efficient upgrades to their home. They had made a lot of small efforts before the contest, but by participating in the TXU Energy Power Saver Challenge 2, they were able to make significant improvements to their 53-year old home.