Energy saving tips and information to help the environment and your pocketbook.
JUNE 2011
Exchange your old bulbs and lamps for new ones at no cost.
Make the switch to energy-efficient lighting with help from SDG&E®!
Looking for an easy way to save energy? Attend an SDG&E® Lighting Turn-in Event and exchange up to five incandescent bulbs and get the same number of energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) for free! Or, trade up to two halogen lamps (any style lamp with halogen bulb) for two new energy-efficient torchieres or table lamps!
For a complete list of upcoming lighting exchange events, visit sdge.com/lighting
By attending this event, you’ll get tips and information from SDG&E to help make your home more energy-efficient, including information on:
• Assistance programs
• No-cost home improvements
Make sure to bring a valid California ID and a copy of your SDG&E bill to qualify
Return to top
MAY 2011
Energy Upgrade™ California makes home improvements more affordable.
Get up to $4,000 in incentives for making home energy upgrades
Your energy-saving home improvements may be more affordable than ever with the help of Energy Upgrade California.
This new program offers incentives of up to $4,000 for qualified upgrades that improve your home’s energy efficiency and lower your energy bills. If you own an existing single-family detached home, there are two ways you can participate in Energy Upgrade California:
The Basic Path
You may receive a $1,000 incentive if you have an eligible contractor complete all six of the following items:
Seal attic air leaks
Install attic insulation
Seal leaky air ducts for central heating and air conditioning system
Insulate hot-water pipes
Test natural gas appliances for correct venting and certify combustion safety
Install a thermostatic shut-off valve on shower to save hot water
The Advanced Path
You may receive incentives ranging from $1,250 for 10% energy savings to $4,000 for 40% energy savings when an eligible contractor installs a comprehensive mix of measures based on a pre-approved work plan. A certified Home Energy Efficiency Rater must evaluate the overall energy savings that would be achieved based on the combination of measures installed. Examples of eligible measures include high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, energy-efficient windows and skylights, and tankless or solar water-heating systems.
Get Started
To learn more, visit sdge.com/energyupgradecalifornia. Before contacting participating contractors, you’ll also need to take a few minutes to complete SDG&E’s Home Energy Efficiency Survey, which is available online at sdge.com/homeanalysis or by calling 800-644-6133.
Return to top
APRIL 2011
Buy, Recycle and Save with SDG&E® Rebates and Incentives
Lower your energy bill and save cash along the way!
Thanks to SDG&E® rebates, consumers can save energy and money on the purchase of energy-efficient refrigerators, clothes washing machines, dishwashers, freezers, room air conditioners, and much more. Rebates range from $25 to $200 depending on the appliance.
When combined with incentives offered by manufacturers, retailers or SDG&E, you can save even more. For example, additional SDG&E incentives include $50 for recycling an old, working refrigerator or freezer, and $25 for qualifying room air conditioners.
For a complete list of rebates and appliances, and for more information on SDG&E incentives, go to sdge.com/saveenergy.
Return to top
MARCH 2011
SDG&E® Invites San Diego Businesses to the 6th Annual Energy Showcase
San Diego Gas & Electric® will host its sixth annual Energy Showcase and Awards Luncheon on Thursday, April 28 from 7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the San Diego Convention Center. The event is targeted to San Diego businesses and will honor 11 local businesses as ‘Energy Champions’.
Local businesses who want to learn how they can save energy and money through SDG&E’s energy-saving programs and services, or through new technology are invited to attend. The event (including lunch) is free with reservations. Parking is available for a fee. Those interested in attending must register prior to the event at sdge.com/energyshowcase.
The event features an Exhibitor’s Pavilion of over 75 vendors demonstrating new technology for energy efficiency and demand response. In addition, there will be a display of the newest alternative energy vehicles. Six educational seminars that focus on energy efficiency and demand response topics will feature national and regional experts. A tour of the Convention Center is also available to see behind the scenes of a “green building.” The awards luncheon will recognize and honor local businesses for their achievements in reducing their energy consumption. Register today! Space is limited.
Return to top
FEBRUARY 2011
Energy-efficient lighting can help you save.
Get CFLs out of the closet and into your sockets!
Do you still have compact fluorescent light bulbs sitting in storage instead of in a socket? Do you still have older style (incandescent) bulbs in use?
If you answered yes to either question, don’t wait any longer to put those CFLs to work! Switching out older bulbs in favor of CFLs is one of the easiest ways to save energy and money in your home.
CFLs save you money!
For starters, SDG&E® helps make bulbs more affordable by providing promotional pricing at participating stores. Look for ENERGY STAR®-qualifying products with the SDG&E promotional sticker at your favorite retailer.
SDG&E also hosts lighting exchanges where customers can turn in older bulbs or lamps for newer, more energy-efficient equivalents. For upcoming exchanges in your area, visit sdge.com/lighting.
Even when purchasing bulbs at full price, the investment is well worth it. While CFLs may be a bit pricier at the register, they soon pay for themselves in energy savings. Replacing a standard 60-watt incandescent bulb with a CFL equivalent can save a single household $30 in energy costs over its lifetime. Plus, when used properly, they burn brightly for up to 10,000 hours as opposed to just 800-1,500 hours for an older incandescent.
What are you waiting for?
Make it a goal to switch to CFL lighting—the sooner the better. And if you’ve got a CFL sitting unused in a closet, now is the perfect time to put it to work!
Return to top
JANUARY 2011
Energy Upgrade California – Rebates of up to $4,000 for making select energy efficiency improvements to your home
When it comes to energy efficiency, it pays to think about your house as a whole—with individual components such as windows, air conditioners, furnaces and appliances working together for maximum energy savings.
The truth is, it takes a lot more energy to heat or cool a drafty house. Think about this scenario. It’s a particularly cold night in San Diego and you’re sitting in front of the TV wrapped in a heated blanket to stay warm. At this point, you might start longing for a new heating system.
But before you start making pricey purchases, it makes the most sense to seal up the leaks in your home first. That may mean better insulation or new windows, for example. Making these upgrades will result in increased comfort of your home and a decreased SDG&E bill, too, since you’ll be using less energy to heat your home effectively. All of a sudden, that want for a new heating system may disappear.
That’s what a “whole house” approach to energy efficiency means: Ensuring that you make home upgrades that make the most sense (and have the biggest impact to your energy consumption).
And now, with the new statewide program, Energy Upgrade California, there are up to $4,000 in rebates for single family homeowners who make select energy efficiency upgrades.
To get started and learn more about the program, visit sdge.com/energyupgradecalifornia.
ENERGY TIPS
With the start of a new year comes the beginning of new things. So make a New Year’s resolution to be more energy efficient. Below are some tips to help you get started!
• Use energy saving light bulbs that can last up to ten times longer than a normal bulb and use up to 75 percent less energy. A single 20 to 25 watt energy saving bulb provides as much light as a 100 watt ordinary bulb.
• Install motion sensors or timers on external lights.
• Wash laundry with full loads. You’ll use the machine less, save time and save energy.
• Use your dryer for consecutive loads. The built up heat means less energy spent.
• Open the drapes or blinds on sunny days and bask in the ‘free’ heat. Keep those south facing windows squeaky clean to let the light through. Remember to close the drapes or blinds when the sun sets to keep the heat in.
Return to top
NOVEMBER 2010
ENERGY TIPS
Did you know?
...heating water accounts for about a third of the cost of maintaining a home. Conserving hot water in any way reduces your overall energy costs and eases the strain on your water supply.
Set the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees F.
The ideal temperature to set your water heater is 120 degrees F. That’s hot enough to clean clothes and dishes efficiently and makes for comfortable showers and baths.
Turn off your water heater when you’re away.
When you’re away for four days or more, you save more energy and money by turning off the water heater than you spend heating the water from room temperature when you return.
Return to top
OCTOBER 2010
San Diego Gas & Electric® Launches New Kids Website!
SDG&E created this kid’s website to educate students on energy efficiency, renewable & sustainable energy, clean transportation, water conservation, climate change and safety. This site also provides valuable tools and resources to teachers and parents on energy-related topics. Teachers benefit from lesson plans and no cost classroom tools and materials. Parents benefit from information on programs and services to help implement energy-saving measures at home. Visit the new site at www.sdge.com/kid
ENERGY TIPS
Did you know?
...that half of your energy bill can be accounted to your home heating! With fall here, and winter soon approaching, the need to keep warm and stay warm can make your energy bill go through the roof! So, before you crank up that heater here are some tips to using your home heating system more efficiently.
Maintain your furnace.
Replace or clean furnace filters regularly and get a furnace tune-up. Keeping your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted can save up to 5% on heating costs.
Keep the heat in.
Install proper ceiling, wall and attic insulation and weather-strip doors and windows to save up to 25% on heating costs.
Return to top
SEPTEMBER 2010
Understanding your summer energy bills
When hot weather arrives, your energy bills may increase, especially if you use air conditioning. Understanding seasonal changes in your energy bills can help you manage your energy use to keep bills down. Here are three basics to keep in mind.
1. Summer baseline allowances apply from May 1 to Oct. 31. Every six months, your baseline allowances for both natural gas and electricity switch between winter and summer levels. These daily allowances provide you with certain numbers of therms and kilowatt-hours for basic needs at the lowest, or baseline, rates. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) sets baseline allowances according to the season, your climate zone, the number of days in the billing period and other factors.
2. The more electricity you use, the higher your tiered electric rates go. The CPUC established a tiered rate system for electricity in 2001. Your baseline allowance for electricity is tier one of SDG&E’s four rate tiers, and corresponds to the lowest rate per kilowatt-hour. When you use more than the baseline allowance, your electric rates go up progressively. You’ll see the greatest increase in how much you pay in tiers three and four.
3. Total standard electric rates are slightly higher for summer than winter in tiers two, three and four. Your tier one (baseline) electric rate is the same all year round, but the summer rate is slightly higher than the winter rate for each succeeding tier.
To see how much of a difference increased energy use can make in your bill, visit sdge.com/rates,click on “Understanding your baseline allowance for electricity,” and try the baseline calculator.
NOTE: This article is used with the permission of San Diego Gas & Electric.
© 2010 San Diego Gas & Electric Company. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Return to top
AUGUST 2010
Request this alert if heat is harmful to your health
If extreme heat would be harmful to the health of anyone living in your home and a moderate indoor temperature is a must, be sure to enroll in SDG&E’s Temperature Sensitive Program. With this free service, you’ll receive advance notice of state-directed power outages. An automated phone call will alert you to prepare for a temporary loss of air conditioning.
To sign up for the Temperature Sensitive Program, call SDG&E® at 1-800-411-7343 or download the program application at sdge.com/TempSensitive.
If you participate in SDG&E’s Medical Baseline Program, then you’re already on the call list for outage notices and do not need to enroll in the Temperature Sensitive Program.
NOTE: This article is used with the permission of San Diego Gas & Electric.
© 2010 San Diego Gas & Electric Company. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved.
ENERGY TIPS
Did you know?
The great outdoors holds many possibilities for saving energy.
Plant some shade.
• Plant trees and shrubs on the west and south sides of your house to shade your home and keep it cool. With just one tree shading your walls and roof during the afternoon, you can reduce wall and roof temperatures by 20 to 40 degrees F.
Plant natural insulation.
• Vines and shrubs growing next to the house create air spaces that help keep the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Return to top
JULY 2010
DOG OWNERS: Know when to fence in your friend
Your dog may be your best friend, but even the friendliest dog may bite. The American Veterinary Medical Association, which co-sponsors National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 16-22, 2010, points out that dogs of all sizes and breeds can bite, and that medical attention is needed by an estimated 800,000 of the 4.7 million people who suffer dog bites each year in the U.S. Most are young children, followed by the elderly, mail carriers and other home service providers – including utility workers – who may have triggered the dog’s natural instinct to protect its pack, its turf and itself.
You can help prevent bite injuries by securely confining your dog behind a locked fence or door before your SDG&E® meter reader or other service technician arrives. Look for your next meter-reading date on each SDG&E bill, and mark your calendar every month with a reminder to confine your dog on that day, so your meter reader has a safe path to your gas and electric meters. Whenever you have an appointment for SDG&E in-home services, such as appliance adjustments or safety checkups, secure your dog away from the work space.
Also, if you have a new dog, please notify us at 1-800-411-7343. We’ll update our records so that our employees will be aware of your canine companion before providing services on your premises.
NOTE: This article is used with the permission of San Diego Gas & Electric.
© 2010 San Diego Gas & Electric Company. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Return to top
