Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
November 03, 2026
Windows Blamed for $400 Electric Bills on 2,000 Sq Ft Homes
TLDR
- First Choice Windows offers Andersen and Pella brands at lower prices by avoiding large fleets and offices, giving homeowners a competitive edge.
- Blower door and pressure tests reveal air loss through doors and windows, while a simple heat or cold draft test can indicate needed upgrades.
- First Choice Windows helps homeowners afford energy-efficient upgrades, keeping home improvement accessible for families stretched by 30-year mortgages.
- Wood windows from the 1940s to 1960s still use counterweight-and-rope mechanisms, a hidden piece of construction history in San Antonio homes.
Impact - Why it Matters
This episode matters because it arms homeowners with a simple, no-tools test to spot energy loss and challenges the assumption that new construction guarantees efficiency. With utility bills rising, the difference between $400 and $150 a month can strain household budgets, and the couple’s insights on window quality, blower door tests, and affordable name-brand options empower consumers to make informed decisions. It also highlights how local businesses like First Choice Windows and Home Exteriors compete with national builders by cutting overhead, keeping upgrades accessible for families already burdened by long mortgages. For anyone in San Antonio or similar markets, the message is clear: windows are not a DIY project, and asking the right questions can save hundreds each month.
Summary
The latest episode of The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie and published September 15, 2026, features Gabby and Jonathan, owners of First Choice Windows and Home Exteriors. Recorded at the San Antonio Home and Garden Show, the episode opens with a striking comparison: a rental under 2,000 square feet with a $400–$500 monthly electric bill versus a 3,200 square foot new build in San Antonio running $150–$200. Jonathan’s blunt diagnosis: it’s the windows.
The conversation traces how a husband-and-wife team built a locally owned alternative in a city Gabby calls the home of small businesses, yet where she couldn’t find a single locally owned window shop. Listeners learn why new builds, including million-dollar Toll Brothers homes fitted with Ply Gem, may not deliver the window quality buyers assume; how blower door and pressure tests expose air loss; and why the company expanded from First Choice Window Solutions into siding, sunrooms, fences, and a roofing partnership with Texas Roof Guardians. Jonathan offers a no-tools homeowner test: “Just standing next to the window during the summer... if you’re feeling that heat come through or if you’re feeling that cold front come through, it’s probably necessary to get something done.” Gabby recalls the moment the math clicked after moving into their sunnier, larger new build: “That’s like a $300 difference in this bill here. And he was like, it’s the windows. And I was like, are you serious?” They also warn against DIY installations.
The deeper discussion covers craftsmanship gaps in modern construction, the counterweight-and-rope mechanisms still hiding in 1940s–60s wood windows around San Antonio, and leak calls after heavy rain events, including flooding in Kerrville. Jonathan, whose father has run a fence, patio cover, and concrete business for over 30 years, explains why First Choice sells name brands like Andersen and Pella at lower prices: no 75-truck fleet, no 20 offices, and lower marketing overhead. Gabby, who left a corporate learning and development role in multifamily property management to build the company’s back end, frames the mission as keeping home improvement affordable for buyers already stretched by a 30-year mortgage. More information is available at firstchoicewindowsolutions.com.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content distributed by Newsworthy.ai. Read the original source here, Windows Blamed for $400 Electric Bills on 2,000 Sq Ft Homes
