Updated: 7:16 PM Jul 10, 2010
Reporter: Shelby Levins

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LUELLA, TX -- As the temperatures rise this summer, one Texoma family is looking forward to lower electric bills, all thanks to a home energy makeover.

We first told you about the Texas Co-op Power home energy makeover in May. A Texoma family was one of five, out of more than 12,000 applicants in the state, to win the makeover giveaway. On Friday, we got a first-hand look inside the family's re-done home and their new energy efficient upgrades.

Drafts around doors and extremely high energy bills are a thing of the past for the Zuniga family. Their house is now energy efficient thanks to a home energy makeover.

"There's no way in a million years that we would have thought something like this would ever happen to us - we're just normal people,” said Brandon Zuniga.

But that is exactly why the Zuniga’s 1,800 square foot home in Luella was selected out of thousands of others for the Texas Co-op Power home energy makeover.

"It was intended to be typical homeowners that had higher than average bills. But we didn't just want to replace five light bulbs and we didn't want to bulldoze the house and pull away the bus. We wanted to see what we could if we brought in local professionals,” Ed Thomas one of the organizers said.

The home, built in 2005, now has a new high-efficiency water heater. New air-sealing with attic insulation and a radiant barrier prevents heat from entering through the rafters. And the home has a new heating and cooling system too.

The upgrades would have cost the Zunigas a little more than $10,000.

"If they had taken out a $10,000 loan, the monthly payments for that loan would have been less than the monthly energy savings from their energy bill so these are improvements that are going to pay for themselves,” Thomas said.

Organizers say that's the purpose of this makeover giveaway - to show normal homeowners how they can take control of their energy loss and lower their total electric bill.

The Zunigas say they're already feeling a difference and it's hard to find the words to express their gratitude.

"To get the gift of having in all done in a month’s time or less – it’s a huge blessing - there are no words for it,” Zuniga said.

Organizers say there are also good renewable energy add-ons that can help homeowners save money -- like solar panels on roofs. But they say the focus should first be energy efficiency, then the next step can be focusing on renewable energy options.

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