Lowering Commercial Refrigeration Costs in Magnolia, TX

Commercial Refrigeration Costs are higher. That’s  because Electricity costs are higher in Magnolia and Southeast Texas because of CenterPoint Energy’s September 2025 rate increase. It’s considered a normal, seasonal rate increase, but many companies are already facing higher operational and inventory costs, which force them to work with tighter margins. Currently, additional mercantile expenses must be carefully managed, so check out these tips to lower refrigeration costs for commercial walk-in refrigerators and freezers.

Calculating Higher Electricity Expenses
The CenterPoint rate hike is for electrical service transmission and delivery by your electricity provider. Commercial refrigeration businesses, such as florists, laboratories, grocery stores, and restaurants, are major energy consumers, with refrigeration systems running continuously to maintain temperature. For these and other companies that rely on commercial refrigeration units, higher electricity bills are unavoidable for the remainder of 2025, even if energy usage is unchanged.

A walk-in commercial refrigerator (6×6) can use as much as 600 kWh/month; a walk-in commercial freezer may average 2,200 kWh/month. And a small restaurant could use as much as 8,000 kWh per month. With an almost 1.5/cents kWh increase, Magnolia-area commercial businesses can use this formula to calculate energy costs:

Total monthly electric bill = kWh use x $.015 kWh increase + additional fees/taxes

Ways To Offset Higher Energy Costs
Diligent companies utilizing commercial refrigeration equipment keep their energy expenses as low as possible with ongoing maintenance. They frequently check the door seals, minimize the number of door openings, regularly clean the equipment, and proactively control temperatures to prevent both over- and under-cooling. These businesses partner with a local, professional refrigeration service company for regular inspection and maintenance visits to reduce the number of breakdowns and repairs.

Rebates, Incentives
December 31, 2025 is the deadline for CenterPoint Energy Electric Business Prescriptive Program rebates. To qualify, businesses must be active users of CenterPoint Energy in the Greater Houston area. Some examples of CenterPoint walk-in refrigeration system rebates are:

• Anti-sweat heater controls ($25/door)
• Electronically commutated motors ($75/motor), replacing standard shaded-pole evaporator fan motors
• LED refrigerated case lighting ($25/door)

The commercial refrigeration equipment must be ENERGY STAR-approved to qualify for rebates; these commercial cooling units are already 20% more energy efficient. With rebates, your business can save:

• $110+ annually and $980 on utility bills over product lifetime – glass door freezers
• $50± annually and $430 on utility bills over product lifetime – glass door refrigerators
• $40+ annually and $350 on utility bills over product lifetime – solid door refrigerators
• $10+ annually and $80 on utility bills over product lifetime – solid door freezers

Refrigerants, IoT Can Lower Commercial Refrigeration Costs
Phasing out for high-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants (like R-410A) began in 2025. Common commercial refrigerants are hydrofluorocarbons (R-134a, R-404A), hydrofluoroolefin (organic) blends (R-454B, R-448A, R-449A), natural refrigerants (R-717, R-744, R-290, R-600a), and R-744A (CO2) for larger commercial refrigeration systems. Recommended refrigerants for 2025-2026 have lower flammability dangers:

CO2 is often preferred by Texas supermarkets because of its extremely low GWP and zero ozone depletion potential. CO2 requires specialized equipment and components because it functions at higher pressures.
Installation costs may be higher because of refrigerant transitions, newer components, and advanced safety protocols.
New safety features for leak detection will reduce flammability risks.

What Is IoT?

Internet of Things is the term that describes connecting devices, appliances – things – to the internet. This connection allows users to share, analyze, and increase profits by using IoT information. Commercial refrigeration units can have connectivity systems that monitor and control:

Customer safety – Ensuring food is stored at proper temperatures and free from spoilage promotes customer safety and well-being.
Energy costs – Information about energy use can help identify ways to lower expenses.
Temperature – Real-time temperature control can help avoid losses from spoiled food, and you can monitor temperatures to prevent over- or under-cooling.
IoT red flags near-expiration beverages and armed with that data, a business to design a product marketing campaign for quick sales. A manager can receive alerts 24/7 if a walk-in refrigerator temperature becomes unsafe or if the compressor is short-cycling. Rather than reacting to commercial refrigeration repair problems, you can prevent them with IoT. 

Save Money: Country Air Commercial Refrigeration Service
Our company is community-involved, and we promote local business-to-business support. We’ll always be available for emergency commercial refrigeration repair service, but would rather have a relationship that includes maintaining your commercial walk-in refrigerators and walk-in freezers. Our technicians have skills, experience, and industry-best diagnostic tools. 

You’ll lower expenses and save money with Country Air:

Country Air technicians are certified, experienced, insured, continuously educated, use proper protective gear, and strictly follow safety guidelines.
Downtime and inventory loss can be minimized.
Walk-in refrigeration equipment’s lifespan will be extended with clean coils and seals, lubricated movable components, and frequently tested and calibrated instruments.
Well-maintained commercial refrigeration systems use less energy for lower electric bills.
You can fix small problems before they become expensive repairs.

Contact us for a free consultation.

Country Air

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