What can be done besides adding more insulation to lower energy bills?
Yes add more insulation! Insulation in the attic should be 10" (blown fiberglass, different types have different R values) or more. The link has more details: http://www.energystar.gov/
Get a new energy provider. The following site compares different providers and gives you contact numbers http://www.powertochoose.org/ I found it easy to make the switch and am saving 16% over what I was paying the previous month.
Change your condenser. If your condenser is more than 4-5years old it's likely a 10 SEER or lower. Changing to newer higher energy efficiency unit can save you 20-30% or more on the biggest user of energy in your home in Texas, the A/C.
Seal it up. Most homes more than 10 years old were not tightly built. To reduce infiltration, seal cracks that appear at the exterior, caulk around windows and weather-strip exterior doors. Don’t seal weep holes in the brick veneer or block ventilation in the attic or crawlspace. Mastic can be added around the ducts at the supply plenum and the supply boxes behind the registers. Why lose all that conditioned air to the attic?
Appliances and lights account for 30-40% of the energy bills in most homes. Big improvements have been made in refrigerators and freezers that use only half the electricity of models that are 15 years or older. Compact fluorescents lights are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. New washers save water and energy by using less of both.
