PG&E Highlights Energy Saving Myths

PG&E offered the fulling tips during the summer months and highlighted some myths when it comes to saving energy and lowering your electric bill.

Shifting energy use to off-peak hours will automatically save you money
Unless you’re on a plan called Time-of-Use, rate-shifting your energy usage to off-peak hours will not save you money immediately. PG&E rates are based on a tier system mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). However, conserving energy during high-usage hours benefits all of us by reducing stress on the power grid and minimizing the need for utilities to purchase costly energy. In the long run, that helps keep overall energy rates down. The surest way to reduce energy bills is by reducing your energy use overall—during peak hours AND non-peak hours. Signing up for the SmartRateTM program is a great way to save during the summer. June through September, SmartRate customers are asked to reduce their usage from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. to receive a discount on their energy bill.

Turning off electronics and appliances will eliminate energy use
Yes—however, many electronics and appliances still use energy when they are turned off. If you want to save even more, try unplugging both electronics and appliances when not in use, or turning off power strips to reduce consumption further.

The computer screen saver puts the device in an energy-saving mode.
Screensavers consume energy like any other use of the computer. To save energy, set your computer to go into sleep mode after a short period of inactivity, or turn it off when you’re not using it.

Closing vents saves energy
Closing vents in unused rooms actually requires the system to work harder, use more energy, wear out faster and increase duct leakage. Additionally, this causes a pressure imbalance inside your home, drawing in unwanted outside air through holes and cracks—ultimately taking your system longer to heat or cool the home.

Leaving a light on uses less energy than turning it off, then on again
Leaving the light on when exiting a room for a few minutes won’t save energy as opposed to turning it off and on in a short timeframe. There is no additional power draw when turning a light bulb back on. And, even though fluorescent lights and tube lights lose a little bit of life each time they are turned off, typically it’s not enough to offset the cost of leaving it on. So, listen to what your parents told you, and turn off the lights when you leave the room, even if for a couple of minutes.

The more energy PG&E customers use, the more money PG&E makes
PG&E does not make higher profits by selling more energy, which makes PG&E and other investor-owned utilities in California distinctly different than most companies that make profits by selling more product. As a utility, PG&E is closely regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The CPUC allows PG&E to earn a rate of return on its investments in gas and electric infrastructure, not on the amount of natural gas and electricity it sells. This “decoupling” of sales from profits is mandated by state law. Thanks to decoupling, we have no reason to encourage customers to use more energy. On the contrary, we are encouraged to promote customer energy efficiency, conservation and use of renewable energy.

Summer Myths

Setting the thermostat lower cools a home faster

A cooling system will provide cooler air at its maximum power when it is first turned on. So, setting the temperature lower will have little or no effect on how quickly a home cools down.

To save on home cooling costs, set the air-conditioner thermostat at 78 degrees or higher, health permitting.

Three to five percent more energy is used for each degree the air conditioner is set below 78 degrees.

Leaving fans on when leaving will keep the home cool

Fans move air, they don’t cool it. Leaving fans on when you are away from the house won’t keep the house cool—it will just increase your energy use.

Whole house fans are a different story. They can draw cooler air into the home and blow the hot air out that’s trapped in the attic, increasing energy efficiency.

However, whole house fans are only effective if the air outside is cooler than the air inside—usually during the early morning and evening hours.

For more tips on how to save energy, visit pge.com/saveenergymoney

COOLING CENTER FACT SHEET

In response to the heat waves of 2006, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a Cooling Center Pilot program for 2007. The CPUC approved the Cooling Center Program effective April 15, 2008.

The Cooling Center Program consists of a network of community centers and local government facilities where people can go to cool off when temperatures get unusually and dangerously high.

Through this program, PG&E provides financial grants that aid in the operation of pre-existing city and county run cooling centers.

In addition, PG&E works to advocate public use of cooling centers through:
- Distributing bilingual brochures
- Providing a toll-free line for customers to locate nearby cooling centers
- Providing an online cooling center locator

Anticipate ward recipients are:

When these facilities open as public cooling centers during extreme temperature situations, most organizations continue their scheduled activities but encourage people to come to their facility to cool down. Transportation, water and snacks are provided at some facilities but not all. Medical assistance or child care services are not offered.

To locate a cooling center near you please visit http://www.pge.com/coolingcenter/