Small fixes, big savings
For South Dallas residents living on fixed incomes, an increase of a few hundred dollars a year in an elecrtic bill isn't pocket change. It can be the difference between paying for groceries and skipping meals.
A pilot project led by a University of Texas at Arlington researcher shows that a modest investment in weatherizing older homes can help close that gap. The project took about five years from initial planning to completion, said Erick C. Jones Jr., assistant professor in the Department of Industrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering.
Dr. Jones, who also directs the Sustainable and Efficient Allocation of Resources (SEAR) Lab, led the city of Dallas–sponsored pilot, which weatherized eight South Dallas homes starting in 2024.
The upgrades—attic insulation, weatherstripping around doors and windows, and LED lighting—cost about $3,750 per home. Across seven homes, energy use fell by about 10% on average, saving a typical household an estimated $225 to $260 a year.
The eighth home, which saw the biggest gains, cut its electric usage by 13.4%, saving an estimated $780 a year—enough to pay back the cost of its upgrades in fewer than five years. Several residents also used more electricity than before, which Jones said reflected them running their air conditioning units after previously avoiding them to keep their energy bills down.
Jones said the savings are significant for residents living on fixed incomes such as Social Security, which averages around $1,400 a month. For those households, he said, even modest increases in utility bills can force difficult choices, such as the "heat or eat" dilemma of whether to turn on the air conditioning or heat or buy groceries that week.
Many older residents, Jones said, develop what researchers call energy-limiting behavior, avoiding using air conditioning, even during extreme heat, because of the cost. The pilot program aimed to remove that trade-off by sealing leaks around doors and windows that can drive up electric bills.
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The project also taught residents how to do the weatherization work themselves through an effort Jones called "Green Warriors," which was designed to create employment and business opportunities within the same community the upgrades were serving. In turn, those who learned this skill could create work for themselves.
Jones said the idea for the pilot program grew from years of travel before he attended graduate school. During trips through Southeast Asia, South Africa and South America, he observed how infrastructure gaps—from unreliable power grids to a lack of basic utilities—shaped daily life.
When he returned to Texas, he saw the same patterns of energy poverty in areas like South Dallas and nearby unincorporated communities. That realization led him to join the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute as a research assistant, work he has continued through his research at UTA.
Looking ahead, energy-efficiency work like this pilot will become increasingly important as electricity demand grows in Texas. Jones belives reducing demand through energy-efficiency upgrades, educating residents about the best times to use electricity, and expanding battery and solar storage will be key to keeping electric bills steady even as overall demand rises.
Jones said expanding the program could provide significant benefits to Dallas residents.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 300,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.