ARTICLE: CUT COSTS ON YOUR SUMMER ENERGY BILL
Warmer temps are on their way but it doesn’t have to mean higher energy bills. Use major appliances when energy is less expensive, before 4 pm or after 9 pm, Monday – Sunday. Here are ways to save energy and money while staying cool.
First, let’s talk about appliances. They tend to use a lot of energy and heat up your home at the same time. With that in mind, consider the following:
1.Change the way you cook
Turn off the oven and stovetop as much as possible. Relying on microwaves, slow cookers, backyard grills or foods you don’t need to cook (like salads) are great ways to not heat up your food and home at the same time. If you’re going to use your oven, do it sparingly and during the coolest part of the day.
2.Change how you wash your clothes
Use cold water to wash your clothes so you don’t have to pay to heat the water. Cold water helps reduce wrinkles and remove stains. Washing in cold also helps your clothes last longer, prolong vibrancy and maintain their shape and size. Always aim for full loads of laundry and consider line drying them.
3.Don’t “heat dry” your dishes
When running your dishwasher, turn off the “heat dry” cycle and let dishes air dry instead.
4.Use smart plugs for appliances
One of the best smart plug uses is to connect appliances to them. Smart plugs allow you to schedule when your appliances are on or off – even remotely. They also help reduce “vampire draw” because appliances still use energy when they’re off but plugged in.
Beyond appliances, here are other great ways to stay cool and save big:
- Check out SDG&E’s new RES program
Do you rent or own a single-family home? Eligible customers receive free products such as smart thermostats, low-flow showerheads, brushless fan motors, HVAC services like air duct testing and sealing – and more. SDG&E has contracted with Synergy Companies to provide customers with energy efficiency audits from their experts. Customers can request a home visit at SynergyCompanies.com or by calling (888)-272-8394. Learn more at sdge.com/RES.
- Save with Golden State rebates
Receive rebates toward the purchase of energy-efficient products like smart thermostats, heat pump water heaters and room air conditioners. Get details at sdge.com/rebates and for the product list, visit GoldenStateRebates.com.
- Sign up for SDG&E’s Power Saver Rewards
Earn a bill credit of $2 per kilowatt hour when you reduce your energy use when the grid needs it the most. Get details at sdge.com/PowerSaver.
- Use ceiling fans instead of the A/C
Ceiling fans can save up to 25 percent on cooling costs and reduces your home’s temperature up to ten degrees. In warmer temps, fans should be set counter-clockwise for the best cooling effect. Don’t forget to change the direction to clockwise when temps drop in cooler months because the fan pushes heat down.
For more ideas on how to save energy, visit sdge.com/MyEnergy.
ARTICLE: MOVING? SCHEDULE YOUR SDG&E SERVICE REQUEST ONLINE
Take some stress out of your move when you schedule your SDG&E service request online. Use SDG&E’s My Account to start, transfer or stop your service. It’s easy and only takes a minute. No need to call and no need to wait on the phone. Online scheduling shows you available dates that you can choose. If your plans change, simply update your request online. Cross one more thing off your to-do list! Get more information at sdge.com/move.
ARTICLE: ENERGY SAVINGS FOR RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS
To help its customers keep their energy costs down, SDG&E launched a new program for renters and owners of single-family homes. The Residential Energy Solutions (RES) program has no income restrictions. Eligible customers receive no-cost upgrades such as smart thermostats, low-flow showerheads, brushless fan motors, HVAC services like air duct testing and sealing – and more. SDG&E has contracted with Synergy Companies to provide customers with energy efficiency audits from their experts. Customers can request a home visit at sdge.com/RES or by calling (888)272-8394.
SDG&E offers other assistance programs, too:
- Neighbor-to-Neighbor – customers may receive up to $600 toward their past due energy bill
- CARE – customers can save 30% or more off their energy bill
- FERA – customers can receive an 18% discount on their electricity bill
- ESA – no-cost energy-efficiency upgrades to income-qualified customers
- Golden States Rebates program – incentives of $20 – $500 to buy high-efficiency water heaters, smart thermostats or room air conditioners
- Arrearage Management Payment (AMP) Plan – debt forgiveness for past due bills for CARE and FERA customers
To learn more about SDG&E’s bill assistance programs, visit sdge.com/assistance.
ARTICLE (TRANSLATED): AHORROS PARA INQUILINOS Y PROPIETARIOS
Para ayudar a sus clientes a mantener bajos sus costos de energía, SDG&E lanzó un nuevo programa para inquilinos y propietarios de viviendas unifamiliares llamado Soluciones de Energía Residencial (Residential Energy Solutions, RES). El programa no tiene restricciones de ingresos. Los clientes que califican para el programa recibirán productos gratuitos como termostatos inteligentes, cabezales de ducha de bajo flujo, motores de ventiladores sin escobillas, servicios para los sistemas HVAC como prueba y sellado de conductos de aire y más. Clientes también pueden solicitar una inspección de su vivienda por parte de un experto en eficiencia energética de Synergy Companies, una empresa que SDG&E ha contratado para administrar el programa. Para pedir una inspección, visite sdge.com/RES o llame al (888) 272-8394.
SDG&E también ofrece los siguientes programas de asistencia:
- Neighbor-to-Neighbor – Clientes pueden recibir hasta $600 en créditos para facturas de energía vencidas
- CARE – Clientes pueden ahorrar un 30% o más en su factura de energía
- FERA – Clientes pueden recibir un 18% de descuento en su factura de electricidad
- ESA – ofrece actualizaciones de eficiencia energética en el hogar sin costo a clientes que califiquen según sus ingresos
- Programa Golden States Rebates – ofrece reembolsos entre $20 y $ 500 para comprar calentadores de agua de alta eficiencia, termostatos inteligentes o acondicionadores de aire para habitaciones
- Plan de Pago de Gestión de Administración de Atrasos (AMP, por sus siglas en inglés) – condonación de deudas por facturas vencidas para los clientes que están inscritos en CARE y FERA
Para obtener más información sobre los programas de asistencia de SDG&E, visite sdge.com/assistance.