SAN FRANCISCO — PG&E encourages customers to do their share to conserve energy to help ensure power supplies match demand throughout the hot season.
The state”s grid controller, the California Independent System Operator, does not anticipate electricity supply shortages in PG&E”s Northern and Central California service area this summer, according to PG&E.
Still, energy-conscious customers can help keep the demand in check, and PG&E offers energy-saving tips for cooling a home or building:
Set the air conditioner thermostat to 78 degrees or higher when at home (health permitting) and 85 degrees when away.
Setting the air conditioner thermostat 5 degrees higher can save about 10 percent on cooling costs.
Shut windows and draw shades to keep in pre-cooled air from the night and early morning.
Check the central cooling duct system for leaks. As much as 20 percent of cooled air can be lost through leaky or poorly insulated ducts.
Avoid using an electric oven on hot days. Instead, cook on the stove, use a microwave oven, or grill outside.
PG&E also offered energy-saving advice for powering electronics, lighting and appliances:
Swap out incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient lighting choices.
Give the refrigerator breathing room: Clean the coils and don”t set the temperature too low. The refrigerator should be kept between 38 and 42 degrees, and the freezer between zero and 5 degrees.
Clean the lint from the clothes dryer after every load. Run full loads and use the moisture-sensing setting. This can help save 5 percent on an electric bill.
Turn off equipment and appliances — such as lights, televisions, stereos, DVD players and computers — when they are not in use.
Use appliances and charge electronic devices in the morning or after 7 p.m.
In addition to conservation, utilities depend on “demand-response” programs to keep the grid stable during summer months.
These programs are voluntary and allow enrolled customers to receive an incentive for reducing their energy use during peak demand times such as weekday afternoons.?
Demand-response programs include:
SmartAC, an optional program in which PG&E installs a free device to a person”s central air-conditioning unit.
On occasional summer days, when demand for electricity is highest, PG&E will automatically signal the device to have the air-conditioning unit produce cool air for 15 minutes. For the following 15 minutes, it will cycle the already cooled air, and then the unit will make cool air again during the next 15 minutes.
This cycle lasts no more than six hours. Participating customers receive a reward check four to six weeks after the SmartAC device is installed.
SmartRate, a voluntary summer pricing plan that lowers customers” electric rates from June through September in exchange for customers agreeing to a higher rate from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on 15 high-temperature days each summer.
If the cumulative costs of the first full summer on the program exceed what customers would have paid on their previous pricing plan, PG&E will reimburse the difference automatically on their November bill.
As an added incentive, customers who enroll this year and stay enrolled through Oct. 31 will receive a $25 reward in the form of a Visa debit card.?
For more information, contact PG&E at 800-743-5000 or visit http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/.
