Contest To Award Energy-Saving Car, Appliances

Most electricity bills have spiked because of the extreme heat, but a contest could help people cool off their home and ease the pain in their wallet.

• Biggest Energy Saver

Many Houstonians have a smart meter to monitor their electricity usage.

"Since March 2009, we've now installed 1.5 million smart meters," said Floyd LeBlanc of CenterPoint Energy. "We have 2.2 million metered customers in the greater Houston area."

Customers with smart meters can track how much electricity they've used by going online, allowing them to decide if they want to change their usage.

"Historically, consumers get a bill for their electricity service once a month, and it's a month after they've used their service," LeBlanc said. "In some cases they're surprised bu the amount of the bill. The smart meter eliminates that surprise."

Those with smart meters can get in on a contest to win an electric Chevrolet Volt or a house full of GE smart appliances. To register, customers should sign up on the Biggest Energy Saver website, where they will also receive tips on how to low their bill.

The contest runs through the end of September.