Since the last thing you want is to be stuck dealing with kids who have too much free time and energy, the good news is the Dallas area is full of fun activities you can do with them throughout the summer.

Best of all, every summer activity on our list is either cheap or completely free!

Explore Texas Discovery Gardens

If you’re looking for something free to do on a Tuesday, this is where you want to go. Spanning 7.5 acres, the Texas Discovery Gardens are actually made up of 10 themed areas. Some of the most popular spots throughout this sprawling area are the shade, scent, and heirloom gardens.

And even if you aren’t able to make it on a Tuesday, admission during the rest of the week is quite reasonable: $8 for adults, $4 for kids under 11, and free for kids under 3. An added benefit of their paid admission is you’ll be able to visit the Butterfly House & Insectarium, where new butterflies are released daily at noon.

Enjoy a Free Trial Class at Kidville

Kidville offers a wide range of classes that range from art to cooking to dance. They have options available for everyone from newborns to six year olds. Their facility also features a cafe and salon for parents to relax at while their kids are in class.

Although most parents would agree that some of their classes are a little pricey, you can see what Kidville is all about for free. All you have to do is go to their website, choose the class that looks like the most fun for your child, and then contact them for a free pass to attend.

Cool Off All Afternoon at the Galleria Ice Skating Center

On a day when you and your family have simply had enough of the summer heat, you can all cool down by spending the day ice skating indoors. While the total cost of admission and skates is $12 per child or adult, since there’s no limit on how long you can stay, you can get a lot of value for your money.

Experience an Evening at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center

While it’s no secret that LEGOLAND is a ton of fun for kids of all ages, the one downside is at $19 for adults and $15 for kids, their standard tickets are a little expensive. However, if you go there after 5PM and order your tickets online, you can save big by getting adult tickets for $12.50 and kid tickets for $9.75. And if any of your kids are under two, they’ll get in for free!

Enjoy Your Summer

We hope this list helps – enjoy these new activities as the summer heats up. To learn more ways to save money this summer, visit http://paylesspower.com. Offering cheap energy plans to suit both personal and business needs, Payless Power is a company committed to providing people not only with some of the best cheap electricity rates in Texas, but also with helpful customer service. Visit the website to learn more about how to save electricity at home, or connect with the online community on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Payless Power is a family-owned business and one of the leading no deposit electric companies in Texas. Staying true to our roots and customers, we have made the decision to not outsource jobs out of the country, so we can provide jobs in the community we live in. We also take pride in being a good community partner and support many local organizations. Stay tuned for future events and information about our charitable activities. To learn more, visit http://paylesspower.com/community.aspx.

There are many misconceptions about the best and most affordable ways to keep your home cool during the warm summer months. Here are some common myths about summer energy savings debunked:

Don’t turn off the A/C while you’re out of the house. If you leave the a/c off all day while you’re out, it will take a lot of energy for the air conditioning to cool off the hot temperature when you get back. Unfortunately, it’s also wasteful to leave the A/C running as usual for the hours you’re gone. The best solution is to invest in a programmable thermostat for 7-10 degrees higher while you’re away. Also, close all of the curtains in your house to keep the sunlight out and keep the room cooler.

Don’t set the thermostat temperature lower to cool your home faster. Air conditioning units work at max power as soon as it is turned on, so it will cool your home as quickly as possible. By setting the AC down to a super low temperature, the unit will keep working longer and harder, costing you more money!

Do set the thermostat at a temperature that you would be comfortable in. When it reaches your ideal temperature, the unit will stop running when your home has cooled down. We recommend that you set you thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer for maximum savings and efficiency.

Don’t leave your ceiling fan running while you’re not in the room. There is a myth that leaving your ceiling fan on will cool the room. While fans do use less energy than an air conditioning unit, they actually cool people and not rooms. Ceiling fans circulate the air in the room creating a draft that makes people FEEL cooler. You can even turn your AC down by about 4 degrees when the ceiling fan is running without losing your comfort level. However, if you are not in the room, the ceiling fan running will waste energy.

Do visit http://paylesspower.com to learn more ways to save money on energy during the hot summer months. Offering cheap energy plans to suit both personal and business needs, Payless Power is a company committed to providing people not only with some of the best cheap electricity rates in Texas, but also with helpful customer service. Visit the website to learn more about how to save electricity at home, or connect with the online community on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Here are some tips about how to celebrate the long holiday weekend and still be green:

• Before you leave work for the long weekend, be sure you have properly shut down!
• Grill instead of using the stove top.  Remember that the grill isn’t just for burgers and brats!  See if you can make your entire feast on the grill. The Food Network has  50 recipes to help you an energy efficient menu.
• Host an energy-free potluck.  Encourage your guests to bring foods to the party that don’t require cooking such as salads, fresh fruit and vegetable platters, cheese and crackers.
• Walk or bike to your destination.  Enjoy the summer weather and nature! Instead of driving, hike or cycle
• Forgo the paper plates and napkins. If you’re hosting a Memorial Day party, try to skip the convenience of disposables and pass out reusable plates, cups and flatware.  If you do need to use disposable items, purchase ones that are made from recycled goods and are recyclable.
• Shut down!  The lights, the computer, the TV, the AC…turn it all off for just one day.  Reducing your use for even one day can make a strong impact on the environment, and your bill!

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend and save energy where you can! To learn more ways to save money on electricity, visit http://paylesspower.com. Offering cheap energy plans to suit both personal and business needs, Payless Power is a company committed to providing people not only with some of the best cheap electricity rates in Texas, but also with helpful customer service. Visit the website to learn more about how to save electricity at home, or connect with the online community on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Founded in 1993, the Take Our Daughters to Work program was originally designed to address self-esteem issues that were thought at the time to be unique to young girls. In 2003, the program was expanded to include boys. Payless Power celebrated their very first Bring Your Child to Work Day on Friday, May 3, 2013.

Employee’s children were invited to the Payless Power office for a day full of fun and educational activities. The day began with breakfast, a tour of the office, and brief company overview. Kids were then given time to spend observing their parents alongside their desks.

Payless Power planned Career Building Activities, including Keys to a Successful Interview and Creating your Business Card. Between the Career Building Activities, children also had a break for lunch.

After the final Career Building Activity, Payless Power produced the “YSTAS Harlem Shake 2013” video.

Bring Your Child to Work Day concluded with a relaxing family-friendly movie and yummy snacks!

Men and women who have hosted children for Bring Your Child to Work Day have benefited from being seen as parental figures in addition to their roles as professionals, which can contribute to combating gender stereotypes as well.

The day has generally been scheduled on a day that is a school day for most children in the United States, and schools are provided with literature and encouraged to promote the program.

Payless Power enjoyed sharing this special event with their families and the chance for kids to have fun while learning more about the company and future professional opportunities.

ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators are required to use about 15% less energy than non-certified models. More than 60 million refrigerators are estimated to be over 10 years old, costing consumers $4.4 billion a year in total energy costs. You can recycle your old refrigerator and replace it with an ENERGY STAR certified one to save as much as $1,100 on energy costs over its lifetime.

The ENERGY STAR refrigerators also help us reduce our impact on the environment. If everyone purchasing a new refrigerator this year chose an ENERGY STAR certified one, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from around 100,000 cars!

Other ways to save money and energy with your refrigerator is by choosing one with a top-mounted freezer. These models typically use 10-25% less energy than bottom-mount or side-by-side models. Choose an appropriately sized refrigerator because the larger the refrigerator, the more energy is needed to use. The most energy-efficient refrigerator models tend to be 16-20 cubic feet.

If you can forego the ice-maker and dispenser on your refrigerator, you could decrease energy use by 14-20%. They also typically raise the purchase price of the fridge by $75-250.

If you’re not in the market for a new refrigerator, or already have an energy-efficient one, there are additional steps you can take to save money and energy. Every time you open the refrigerator door, the cold air runs out into the room and the warm air fills in its place. This makes your refrigerator’s compressor work harder to drive the warm air out and elevate the temperature. Home Energy Magazine estimated that door openings account for 7% of your fridge energy use.

Another way to help save energy is by keeping your refrigerator full, because then there is less air to cool when more space is taken up by the food. But watch out for overfilling the fridge which can hinder air circulation.

To learn more ways to save money on energy, visit http://paylesspower.com
. Offering cheap energy plans to suit both personal and business needs, Payless Power is a company committed to providing people not only with some of the best cheap electricity rates in Texas, but also with helpful customer service. Visit the website to learn more about how to save electricity at home, or connect with the online community on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Today, more than one billion people in 192 countries are taking action in their communities and helping to show “The Face of Climate Change” (this year’s Earth Day theme). Looking for ways to contribute to Earth Day yourself? Here are some tips on how you can help protect our planet:

Take a Hike

Even though it’s home to only 5% of the world’s human population, the U.S. uses about 26% of the petroleum consumed worldwide. Walking is an environmentally efficient mode of transportation and is also a great form of exercise! For Earth Day, try walking to school, the store, or a friend’s house if you can! If it is too far to walk, consider riding your bike, taking public transportation or carpooling with  a friend.

Reduce, Reuse, RECYCLE

Americans throw away 50 billion food and drink cans, 27 billion glass bottles and jars, and 65 million plastic and metal jar and can covers each year. More than 30% of our waste is packaging materials. Glass has been found in perfect condition after 4,000 years in the earth! To help keep from running out of space, we should reuse and recycle packaging whenever we can.

Save the Trees

Use both sides of paper when possible and clean up messes with sponges or washable cloths instead of paper towels.

Conserve Water

When you are hand washing dishes, don’t let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water. Water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation. Don’t let the water run while you lather when you are washing your hands.

Sharing is Caring!

Share these tips with your friends and let us know how you are helping the Earth this week!

Learn more energy and money saving tips from Payless Power! Offering cheap energy plans to suit both personal and business needs, Payless Power is a company committed to providing people not only with some of the best cheap electricity rates in Texas, but also with helpful customer service. Visit the website to learn more about how to save electricity at home, or connect with the online community on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Payless Power is proud to offer prepaid electricity customers a discount of 4 cents per kWh with qualifying pre-payments of $99 or more. New customers can also receive $25 in free electricity with start of service!

Our prepaid electric service, known as SmarTricity with Flex Pay, offers pay-as-you-go electricity. You can put money into an account from which funds are deducted as electricity is used. SmarTricity with Flex Pay eliminates late fees completely.

With our updated FLEX PAY discount, you can save up to $480 annually when they pre-pay $99 or more for their electricity. While no discount is applied for payments less than $99, FLEX PAY offers the flexibility to pay what fits their budget.

Pre-paid electricity customers can make small payments as needed and when your budget allows, you can save more with their larger bulk purchases. We want to provide the best discount possible for buying in bulk.  Think of Payless Power as the Costco or Sam’s club of prepaid energy.

Payless Power offers flexible payment arrangements and extensions for emergency situations. Additional money can be added to customer accounts by telephone, at a payment center, or online.  Payments can be made as often as monthly weekly, or even daily, based on what is most convenient for the individual customer.

Prepaid service requires a minimum prepayment for service in order to get connected. $25 of FREE Electricity pertains to prepaid service and the credit will be added to the account immediately. You may be required to prepay additional money above the initial $25 credit in order to satisfy the connection balance located in the Terms Of Service. If Service is not retained for 30 days, then the $25 credit will be reversed or charged back. $480 annual savings based on 4 cent flex pay discount off of Payless Power’s standard rate at an annual consumption of 12,000 kWh. Flex Pay discount is off of Payless Power’s standard rate.

Pre-paid electricity with Payless Power requires no credit check, long-term contract, or early cancellation penalty. To learn more about Payless Power’s pre-paid Texas electric service and exclusive FLEX PAY discount, visit http://www.paylesspower.com, call us at (866)-963-9353, or fill out the form below!

Did you know? About 20 percent of your home’s electricity bill is represented by lighting. Using ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs is one of the easiest steps you can take to help cut down your energy bill and help the environment in the process!

ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. Within about 6 months, ENERGY STAR qualified light bulbs will pay for themselves, and will then begin to start paying you back. In fact, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save more than $600 million in energy costs annually.

ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs use less watts (power) than traditional incandescent light bulbs. Incandescent light bulbs work by heating a tungsten filament or wire, until it glows, which produces the visible light. However, 90% of the energy used to generate that light is wasted as heat, which makes the incandescent bulbs highly inefficient in lighting your home.

CFLs, instead, create a chemical reaction among gasses located inside the glass tube, causing phosphors to illuminate. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs provide bright, warm light, use 75% less energy, and lasts up to 10 times longer. They also produce about 75% less heat, which can help cut energy costs associated with keeping your home cool.

Learn more about the benefits of ENERGY STAR CFL’s at http://energystar.gov.

Save even more money on electricity by using prepaid electricity in Texas today! Offering cheap energy plans to suit both personal and business needs, Payless Power is a company committed to providing people not only with some of the best cheap electricity rates in Texas, but also with helpful customer service. Visit the website to learn more about how to save electricity at home, or connect with the online community on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Clean off your bookshelves and discard any books that you don’t plan on reading again. Remove ripped dust jackets (unless they might have value). Line books in a rhythmic pattern both vertically and horizontally to avoid the monotony of rows.

Gather all of the clothes and items you’ve decided to get rid of, and hold a yard sale or garage sale. Not only will this help you earn a little extra cash, but it will create more space in your house, keeping you cooler. Keep the house de-cluttered on a daily basis by looking around whenever you leave a room for anything that is out of order and putting it back in its place.

Dust Your Ceiling Fans
Make sure all of your ceiling fans are dust free and working properly. If you have been running your fans clockwise during the winter months, change the direction of your ceiling fans to the standard counterclockwise direction to provide a pleasant breeze during warmer months.

Clean your refrigerator
It is estimated that a fridge uses about 15 percent of a home’s power. A few simple steps can help your refrigerator run more efficiently and save energy.

Throw out old food and wipe up any spills immediately. Wash the interior with a solution of baking soda and water (two tablespoons of baking soda for every quart of warm water). Use a toothbrush to scrub harder to reach areas.

According to the Consumer Energy Center,  cleaning your refrigerator coils can reduce the amount of energy that your fridge uses by up to 30 percent. When dust and pet hair build up on them, the motor works harder and must use more electricity. When the coils are cleaned, air can circulate freely.

How to Clean Your Refrigerator Coils

• Find the coils on your refrigerator. On older-model fridges, the coils are exposed on the back. On newer models, the coils are on the bottom, hidden behind a cover panel or kick plate.
• Unplug your fridge and pull it away from the wall.
• Remove the cover plate. On some models it’s held in by spring clips; others may use a couple of small screws
• Use a vacuum or brush to dust the condenser coils.
• Replace the cover panel, slide the fridge back into place and plug it in.

Cleaning Other Areas of the House
Replace heavy curtains with lighter ones for the warmer weather. Vacuum and steam-clean the old curtains or have them dry-cleaned before you put them away for storage.

If your home has a sliding glass door, make sure to clean its track. Dirty tracks can ruin the seal of the door, creating gaps where cold air can escape.

Click here to read more energy saving tips.

If you’re interested in learning more about saving money on electricity by using prepaid electricity in Texas, then check out Payless Power. Offering low-cost energy plans to suit both residential and business needs, Payless Power is a company committed to providing people with some of the best electricity rates in Texas, but also with helpful customer service. Visit the website to learn more about how to save electricity at home, or connect with the online community on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.