Quality Cool Air warns East Texas homeowners of higher winter energy costs

Quality Cool Air issued a winter energy advisory as higher Oncor delivery charges, rising electricity forecasts and the loss of a federal HVAC tax credit squeeze East Texas households heading into the 2026–2027 heating season. The Palestine contractor says efficiency fixes and preventive maintenance matter more now because every wasted kilowatt-hour costs more.

Why it matters: - East Texas households and businesses are facing higher winter power bills from multiple directions at once. - Oncor delivery-rate increases apply to customers in Palestine and much of North, Central and East Texas, regardless of retail electricity plan. - The end of the federal HVAC tax credit makes new equipment purchases more expensive upfront, raising the value of repairs, maintenance and efficiency upgrades. - Heating and cooling account for more than half of the energy used in American homes, so small efficiency losses can have an outsized effect on monthly bills.

What happened: - Quality Cool Air, Inc. issued a winter energy cost advisory for homeowners and business owners in Palestine and surrounding East Texas communities. - The advisory focuses on higher electric delivery charges in the Oncor Electric Delivery service area, rising electricity price forecasts from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the end of the federal credit for qualifying HVAC equipment. - Jason Sander, owner of Quality Cool Air, said households cannot control the cost of electricity but can control how much energy their heating and cooling systems use. - The company is urging customers to evaluate their HVAC systems before the 2026–2027 heating season begins.

The details: - On April 17, 2026, the Public Utility Commission of Texas approved Oncor’s base rate review and adopted a settlement in the case. - The order authorized about $560 million in increased revenue over Oncor’s 2024 test-year adjusted revenues. - New rates took effect June 1, 2026. - Oncor estimated the base-rate change adds about $4.64 per month, or roughly 3%, for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month on a 15-cent retail plan. - On Aug. 1, 2026, Oncor added a temporary surcharge to recover the gap between earlier 2026 rates and the newly approved rates. - Oncor estimated that surcharge at about $3.63 per month for the same 1,000-kWh customer. - On April 23, 2026, Oncor filed its first request under the Unified Tracker Mechanism, a process created by the Texas Legislature to review certain transmission and distribution investments together. - If approved as filed, that request would add about $3.85 per month, or about 2.5%, for a residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month. - Oncor said in its first-quarter 2026 results that it expected a final order and updated rates in the second half of 2026. - Retail electric providers collect Oncor’s delivery charges and pass them through on customer bills. - Shopping for a lower energy rate can change the supply portion of a bill, but it does not change the delivery portion. - Oncor reported a 2026 capital spending budget of about $9.0 billion, roughly 25% above actual 2025 capital spending, as it responds to rising demand in its territory. - The EIA projected average U.S. residential electricity prices of 18.2 cents per kWh in 2026 and 18.7 cents in 2027, up from 17.3 cents in 2025. - The EIA said residential electricity consumption rose 6% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, driven by hotter weather and higher cooling demand. - The EIA projected wholesale electricity prices across 11 trading hubs at $52 per megawatt-hour in 2026, 11% higher than 2025. - The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, known as Section 25C, had allowed homeowners to claim 30% of qualifying improvement costs, with caps of up to $2,000 for qualifying heat pumps and up to $600 each for qualifying central air conditioners and gas furnaces. - The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025 as Public Law 119-21, ended the credit for property placed in service after Dec. 31, 2025. - Equipment installed in 2026 does not qualify for the Section 25C credit. - Homeowners who completed qualifying installations in 2025 may still be able to claim the credit on 2025 federal tax returns using IRS Form 5695. - Quality Cool Air says winter heating deserves attention in East Texas because heat pumps can rely on auxiliary electric resistance heat strips when temperatures fall or systems are not functioning properly. - Thermostat settings, a faulty outdoor sensor, low refrigerant charge, a dirty outdoor coil and restricted airflow can all push a heat pump to use backup heat more often. - A heating inspection can check defrost cycles, refrigerant charge, airflow and auxiliary heat controls. - For gas or propane furnaces, seasonal inspections can check burner operation, the heat exchanger, flue venting and safety controls. - Gas-fired equipment that does not vent properly can create a carbon monoxide hazard. - Quality Cool Air recommends annual furnace inspections and working carbon monoxide alarms. - The company says homeowners should replace or clean air filters on schedule because clogged filters restrict airflow and reduce heating performance. - Large thermostat setbacks or temperature jumps can trigger auxiliary heat on heat pumps. - The company says programmable or smart thermostats should match the equipment’s settings, including auxiliary heat controls. - ENERGY STAR estimates that about 20% to 30% of conditioned air can be lost through duct leaks, holes and poorly connected ducts in a typical house. - ENERGY STAR says sealing and insulating ducts can improve heating and cooling efficiency by as much as 20%. - HVAC inspections can identify low refrigerant charge, failing capacitors, dirty coils and weak blower motors before a breakdown occurs. - Leaves, debris and vegetation around an outdoor heat pump unit can restrict airflow and reduce efficiency. - For aging equipment, Quality Cool Air says homeowners should weigh system age, repair history, major component failures and efficiency against current models. - The company recommends load calculations that consider square footage, insulation, windows, orientation and ductwork when sizing replacement equipment. - Quality Cool Air says a planned approach can include fixing duct leakage and airflow problems, restoring current equipment and budgeting for replacement on the homeowner’s timeline. - Commercial properties face the same cost pressure because long HVAC runtimes make efficiency losses more expensive. - Quality Cool Air offers commercial HVAC services, including repairs, maintenance, installation, replacement, inspections and commercial refrigeration. - The company says business owners should schedule preventive maintenance before winter instead of waiting for a breakdown. - Quality Cool Air is based at 2214 W. Reagan St. in Palestine and says its service area includes Elkhart, Frankston, Montalba, Grapeland, Jacksonville, Athens, Tyler, Crockett and Corsicana, among other East Texas communities. - Customers outside the Oncor service area should check with their own electric provider for rate changes, since delivery charges and rate structures differ by utility. - Quality Cool Air was founded in 1989 and holds Texas air conditioning and refrigeration contractor license TACLA29739C. - The company is a member of the Palestine Chamber of Commerce. - The company’s residential services include HVAC repairs and maintenance, system installations and replacements, furnace repair, ductwork installation and repair, thermostat installations, inspections and emergency HVAC service. - Quality Cool Air also offers a Comfort Club maintenance membership with two preventive maintenance visits per year. - Homeowners and business owners can contact Quality Cool Air at (903) 723-2600 or visit the company’s website for more information.

Between the lines: - The advisory is both a consumer warning and a sales pitch for preventive service, but the underlying cost drivers are real and external to the contractor. - Delivery-rate increases are especially important in deregulated Texas markets because households can shop for supply rates but cannot avoid utility delivery charges. - The loss of the federal tax credit shifts more of the decision-making toward operating costs and equipment condition, instead of relying on an incentive to justify replacement. - The message to East Texas customers is simple: a more efficient system and better maintenance can now have a clearer payoff.

What's next: - Oncor rate changes and related billing effects will continue to flow through customer bills in its service territory. - Some pending utility costs may still be updated if Oncor’s Unified Tracker Mechanism filing is approved. - Homeowners heading into winter are expected to weigh repair, maintenance and replacement decisions with higher electricity prices in mind. - Quality Cool Air is steering customers toward pre-winter inspections, duct fixes and thermostat checks before cold weather drives demand higher.

The bottom line: - East Texas residents are entering winter with higher electricity delivery costs, rising national power prices and no new federal HVAC tax break to soften replacement costs.