Surviving a Lubbock Summer: How to Keep Your Rental Cool Without Destroying Your Electric Bill
Lubbock summers punish unprepared renters. With July averaging around 1,362 kWh of electricity use per home according to Watt Owl's March 2026 data — roughly 36% above the annual average — a careless July or August can produce a power bill that hurts more than the heat does.
Set the thermostat higher than you think. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends 78°F when you're home and awake during summer. Every degree below 78°F adds roughly 3% to your cooling cost. If 78°F sounds rough, work up to it. Start at 75°F for a few days, then 76°F, and so on. Your body adjusts faster than your wallet recovers from a $300 bill.
When you leave for work or a weekend trip, bump the setting to 85°F. The DOE estimates that raising the thermostat 7–10°F for 8 hours a day can cut cooling costs by up to 10% annually. Don't shut the AC off entirely in a Lubbock July — humidity creeps up, and your system has to work harder to recover when you get home.
Change the filter. Then change it again. A clogged filter is the single most common cause of a struggling AC. In Lubbock's dust, filters load up faster than the box suggests. Check yours every month from May through September. If it looks gray, replace it. A dirty filter forces the blower to work harder, raises your bill, and can freeze the evaporator coil, which means no cold air at all on a 103°F afternoon.
Block the sun before it gets in. West- and south-facing windows are the worst offenders from about 2 p.m. on. Close blinds and curtains before you leave in the morning. Blackout curtains in bedrooms make a measurable difference. If your unit has older single-pane windows, a $15 set of thermal curtains pays for itself in a single billing cycle.
Use ceiling fans the right way. Fans cool people, not rooms. Running a ceiling fan in an empty room wastes electricity. When you are in the room, a fan lets you raise the thermostat 3–4°F without feeling warmer. Set the blades to spin counterclockwise in summer so they push air down. Most fans have a small switch on the motor housing.
Stop cooking against your AC. The oven and stovetop can raise your indoor temperature by up to 10°F. In July, that's a fight your AC will lose. Grill outside, use the microwave or air fryer, or cook after 8 p.m. when outdoor temps drop. The same goes for the dryer: run it late evening, or hang clothes outside where Lubbock's dry air will finish the job in under an hour.
Seal the small stuff. Check for drafts around exterior doors and the attic access. If you can feel hot air leaking in around a door frame, ask your property manager about new weatherstripping. It's a small fix that pays off all summer.
If your AC isn't keeping up after you've checked the filter and thermostat, submit a maintenance request through your tenant portal. HVAC issues are our highest-priority category during Lubbock summers, and the sooner we know, the sooner we can get a technician out to your unit.
