I was delighted to join this year’s Texas Energy Summit and meet a wide range of players—from new entrants to long-time movers and shakers across the Texas energy market.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner opened the 2018 Texas Energy Summit with a compelling vision: rebuild for resilience after Hurricane Harvey (2017), not merely replace what was lost. With 365,000 homes damaged across 41,500 square miles and an estimated $125B in damage, Harvey was Houston’s third “500-year” flood in as many years—a wake-up call.
Mayor Turner has become a leading voice for climate action—speaking at the Global Climate Action Summit, co-chairing Climate Mayors, and launching Houston’s Climate Action Plan. As he put it: “You can be the energy capitol of the world, and still acknowledge that climate change is real.” Today, 90% of Houston’s municipal energy comes from wind and solar, and the city has reduced GHG emissions 35% since 2007. Transportation and residential buildings remain top sources—areas where individual consumer choices matter.
In a “Smart Home Innovation & the Texas Retail Energy Market” session, we shared new consumer research on Texans’ attitudes toward efficient appliances and vehicles. The bottom line: Texans care about efficiency.
83% of Texans say it’s important to buy energy-efficient home appliances (29% “extremely important”).
Yet most consumers still lack an easy way to compare products by efficiency. When shoppers can see that a highly efficient model costs no more to buy and will save money to own, 95% say they’d choose the efficient option (69% “extremely likely”). This matters because 77% believe efficiency always costs more—a lay theory that often isn’t true.
Adding a clear, model-level efficiency signal—like the Enervee Score (0–100)—to the shopping journey helps bust the “efficient = expensive” myth so people can pick the best product at their price point.
88% of Texans say it’s important that their next car is cheap to run (low fuel costs), and 45% care that it’s zero-emission/eco-friendly—placing a stronger emphasis on fuel economy than emissions relative to US averages.
89% would find an online tool “useful” (over half “extremely useful”) to compare vehicle types (gasoline, diesel, electric) by purchase price and running costs. With a choice engine, many discover EVs deliver the lowest fuel cost—often a surprise.
Who do Texans trust for accurate appliance energy-use info? Manufacturers ranked first (34%), but Retail Electricity Providers (REPs) ranked second (21%), ahead of government (20%) and retailers (10%). That’s an opening—yet over 70% said REPs aren’t doing enough (e.g., to explain EV benefits). One respondent: “This survey made me wonder why I never hear anything about eco-friendly cars from our local energy company.”
Providing trusted, point-of-decision guidance—via a utility marketplace/choice engine—improves perception and loyalty because it makes stressful purchases easier. See examples on our utility marketplace page.
Making efficiency visible and actionable—especially with the Enervee Score—can drive double-digit savings without mass-market rebates. Field data from the PG&E Marketplace support this. If similar outcomes were achieved in Texas, annual platform deployment could yield gross lifetime savings on the order of:
For context, see our summary of the PG&E findings: Empowered consumers, massive savings.
Texas utilities have efficiency obligations and fund standard-offer programs via REPs/third parties. However, “plug loads” (appliances/equipment on standard outlets) are often excluded by major TDUs—despite plug loads representing roughly one-third of total energy bills (40–50% of electricity in many homes). That leaves a large, market-transformable segment on the table.
Market transformation—by eliminating the visibility barrier at the point of purchase—can complement program portfolios. Another opportunity: partner with local climate leaders like Houston to empower residents with efficient choices that cut bills and emissions.
Texans make ~190 million energy-related buying decisions each year—from appliances and electronics to vehicles and water heaters. Nudging those one-time choices toward efficient models locks in lifetime savings and avoided emissions—no subsidies required.See it in action. Explore our utility marketplace and the Enervee Score, or contact us to discuss launch options in Texas.