**I am promoting this as a partner with Reliant Energy. Though I will receive the same prize as my winner, all opinions are my own.**

I don’t think I am the only one whose heart speeds up a little when my electric bill shows up in my mailbox. It is so unpredictable and sometimes, I literally am in shock! Planning vacations and events for the summer can be so hard when you have no idea what your potentially largest utility bill could be! Reliant Energy wants to help you save on your electricity bill this year! The more you save, the more you can plan with your kids. Like a trip to a Schlitterbahn Water Park in Galveston, TX!

Learn More about Reliant’s Predicatable 12 Plan

Reliant Predicatable 12 Plan #reliantsummer

I will share some tips on how to reduce that bill and on the Reliant Predicatable 12 plan in a minute! First, I want to tell you about how YOU can WIN 4 Tickets to Schlitterbahn Water Parks! A $300 value, these tickets will help your whole family cool off with smiles!

All you do is answer this question on this blog post:

HOW MANY 100+ DEGREE DAYS DO YOU THINK HOUSTON WILL HAVE IN JULY 2014?

Leave your guess below. On August 1, 2014, we will check the Hobby Airport temperature readings and the reader closest to the right number of days, WINS 4 Tickets to a Schlitterbahn Water Park in Galveston, TX! Now, there are bound to be a need for a tiebreaker so any time you Share, Tweet, Pin or do any other social media share of this contest, list them in the comments. Each share is another entry! There is no limit to the number of entries you can have! So, first, you have to have chosen the right number of days – anyone who does that alone automatically wins – and second, IF we need a tiebreaker, the shares will be counted! Pretty easy, right?

The winner will get the 4 tickets mailed out ASAP to them and will have plenty of summer left to enjoy them!

Schlitterbahn #reliantsummer

ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED from JUNE 24, 2014 to JUNE 30, 2014 ONLY!

So you have 7 days to guess and share your heart out!

Now that you have entered the contest, let’s talk about REAL solutions that can help you save on electricity this summer and keep the surprise bill opening at bay!

Reliant’s Predicatable 12 plan lets you have a consistent bill every month no matter your electricity usage that month!  Texas families can now be in control of our budget, especially when it comes to electric bills.  The Predictable 12 electricity plan is the first-of-its-kind plan in the competitive electricity market that keeps customer electricity costs the same every month, for 12 months, with no surprises. So basically, you sign up and, for 12 months, your electric bill is the same each month. Predictable, reliable, budgetable!

Now that you have checked out the plan and switched over to SAVE BIG on your summer budget and your heart stopping bills, let me share some electricity saving tips too!

Make Summer Energy Savings Simple

  •  Program in savings: Install a programmable thermostat to save an estimated 10% a year on heating and cooling costs.
  •  Change the channel: Set your TV to the “home” or “standard” screen setting. The “vivid” or “retail” settings are unnecessarily bright and burn 20% more power.
  •  Get out of hot water: Lower the temperature settings on your water heater from 140 degrees to 120 degrees. It saves money and still feels nice and hot.
  • Spin to lower bills: Switch your ceiling fan to turn in a counter-clockwise direction in the summer
  • Freshen those filters: Change your AC filters at least once a month.
  • Nuke some savings: Use microwave and toaster ovens to cook or warm leftovers. You’ll use less energy than cooking with conventional oven.
  • Suds in some savings: Wash full loads of clothes when possible. When smaller loads are necessary, use less water.
  • Cook up lower costs: Grill out more often during the summer. Using the oven in the heat of summer forces your AC to work harder, which raises your energy bill.
  • Save by degrees: Setting your thermostat 4 degrees higher when you’re away for more than 4 hours helps reduce electricity usage.

Reliant Predicatable 12 Plan #reliantsummer

Parent tips for kids:

  •  Go outside and play. Turn off the TV or video game console and get outside.
  • When I was your age… Ride a bike or walk instead of using the car.
  • It’s bedtime. Turn off your computer before bed each night and before leaving for the day. Set the computer’s sleep mode.
  • Money doesn’t grow on trees.  Plant a tree with your child to help shade the house on hot summer days.
  • Eat your vegetables. Avoid baking, cooking and other heat-generating activities on hot days; consider cold foods and drinks instead.
  • No snacks after dinner! Avoid repeatedly and unnecessarily opening refrigerators and freezers.
  • Clean your plate. Do only full loads for clothes and dishes; partial loads waste water and energy.
  • Get some fresh air! On sunny days, hang clothes outside instead of using the dryer.
  • It’s dinnertime! Once a week have a sandwich night to save gas and electricity on cooking.
  • Play nicely. Try some energy-saving games with your kids, such as finding lights, switches or appliances left on.

We can all do something more efficient to save on electricity costs. Changing to Reliant’s Predicatable 12 plan can relieve a lot of mailbox stress and following these tips can help you save over all! How else do you save electricity on your home?

Don’t forget to comment and share to WIN your 4 Tickets to Schlitterbahnm Galveston! How many 100+ days will there be in July 2014 in Houston?adimeamil