Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) wants to remind customers that there are ways to save money as temperatures heat up. In preparation for summer, PG&E encourages customers to take advantage of tips, along with programs and tools that enable them to save energy and manage their bills.
Set the air conditioner to 78 degrees or higher when you’re home and 85 degrees when your away, health permitting, to save on home cooling costs while still making your home comfortable.
Save up to 10 percent a year on cooling costs by simply turning your thermostat back 7-10 degrees F for eight hours a day from its normal setting.
Setting the temperature lower will have little or no effect on how quickly a home cools down.
Use fans when you’re at home but remember to turn them off when you leave. Since fans move air, but don’t cool it, they waste energy if left on when you’re not home.
If you use your air conditioner, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4 degrees F with no reduction in comfort.
Check the filter on your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. A dirty filter can waste energy by causing your system to work harder to keep you cool.
Turn off and unplug electronics and appliances when they are not in use. Even when they are off but remain plugged in, many electronics and appliances still use energy.
Use cold water to wash full loads of laundry. Water heating takes up about 90 percent of energy used by clothes washers. Today’s detergents work great in cold water.
Turn off lights when you’re not using rooms and rely on natural light during summer days at work and home.
Remember to shift your large appliance use like washers and dryers to before 4 p.m. and after 9 p.m. if you are on a time-of-use rate.
Simple actions and changes at home can be some of the easiest, no-cost ways to reduce energy waste and drive down greenhouse gas emissions.
“Right now, is the perfect time to think about how to prepare your home for the warmer months. PG&E offers many tips, programs and tools to help customers take control of their energy usage,” said Vincent Davis, senior director of customer energy solutions at PG&E.
Customers can access energy cost and usage with information down to the day, see a personalized rate comparison to determine if they are on the best rate, and more. Customers can sign up for an online account at www.pge.com.
Also, customers can better manage their bill amount by signing up for automated bill forecast alerts. They can choose to receive an alert via email, text or a phone call when their bill is trending to hit an amount they specify. Sign up in less than
Customers also can sign up for the High Usage Alert to be notified when they may incur the High Usage Surcharge. www.pge.com/highusage.
In less than five minutes, customers can find how much of their home energy use goes to cooling, heating hot water, appliances, lighting and other uses. The results enable customers to make customized changes to enhance their home’s energy efficiency, along with estimates of how much money can be saved. www.pge.com/home-energy-checkup.
The Budget Billing program averages customers’ monthly energy costs to help monthly payment amounts remain more consistent, even if energy use changes significantly from season to season. www.pge.com/budgetbilling.
PG&E also offers a variety of financial assistance programs to low-income customers including California Alternative Rates for Energy, Energy Saving Assistance and payment plans. For more tips on how to save this summer, visit www.pge.com/summer.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 24,000 employees, the company delivers energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
