More than 60,000 people moved to Austin in 2014. As more people start to call Austin home, local leaders, businesses and developers, including those of us at Texas Gas Service, must find new and economical ways to meet the changing needs of a growing population with limited resources.

As part of a larger climate protection resolution, the City of Austin set a goal to reduce demand on the already overburdened electric grid by 900 megawatts by 2025. Meeting this goal requires managing the city’s need for electricity, and Texas Gas Service is proud to play a major role in helping achieve these results without placing the burden on customers.

Since 2006, the Texas Gas Service Conservation Program has helped further the city’s affordability and energy goals through educating customers about natural gas benefits and offering rebates on efficient natural gas appliances – which help Austinites reduce the cost of their utility bills.

The results of these efforts are reflected in the Conservation Program’s continued growth and popularity – this fiscal year we saw record participation and record rebate dollars distributed directly to customers. But the real-world impact of these results is much deeper: we’re enabling customers to make their own smart energy choices.

Understanding Energy Use

By partnering with Austin Energy and the Pecan Street Energy Lab, we are better able to understand energy consumption trends and how natural gas plays a role in meeting the city’s energy goals. Providing customers safe, efficient options for energy use will continue to greatly impact the city’s ability to meet demand.

Planning Now for the Future

It’s important for Texas Gas Service to work directly with builders to ensure that new homes are equipped for natural gas, as it is difficult and often costly to install pipes and wiring after the home is built. Through the rebate program, Texas Gas Service helps developers construct homes with natural gas home heating, water heating, cooking and clothes drying capabilities, so customers have built-in options to save energy and money.

Assisting Those in Need

Austin is home to many low-income, elderly and mobility-challenged customers who need safe, reliable, efficient and affordable energy. We support weatherization assistance programs – like those at Austin Energy and Meals and Wheels and More – to provide and install free high-efficiency natural gas furnaces, water heaters and cooking ranges to qualified customers. This not only eliminates the up-front investment for these customers, it also helps them save long-term by reducing their monthly utility bills.

As our city expands, Texas Gas Service will continue to work with our partners to provide safe, affordable, reliable and efficient energy solutions so Austin can continue to be a great place to live.

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