SAN FRANCISCO
PG&E: Increase in energy usage, combined with spike in natural gas prices, may be contributing to higher-than-normal energy bills.
As the temperatures drop during the winter, natural gas usage tends to go up due to increased heating needs. The heating system, water heater, and washer/dryer account for more than 70% of winter energy use in the typical home.
The increase in energy usage, combined with a spike in natural gas prices, may be contributing to higher-than-normal energy bills.
We understand any increase in energy bills can be challenging. That’s why PG&E is offering the following tips to safely reduce the costs associated with these natural gas appliances.
Ways to Save Energy this Winter
- Enhance Furnace Efficiency: Check furnace filters regularly. Change out filters if dirty- or at least every three months. A clean filter will prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system which can lead to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.
- Improve Duct Performance: In a typical house about 20% to 30% of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. Make sure all connections at vent registers are well-sealed where they meet the floors, walls, and ceilings. These are the common locations to find leaks and disconnected ductwork. Many homeowners choose to work with a professional contractor for duct improvement projects.
- Lower the temperature on your water heater: The recommended temperature is 120°F. For every 10ºF reduction in temperature, customers can save from 3% to 5% on water heating costs. Also take shorter showers and don’t leave water running.
- Wash Clothes in Cold Water: Use the cold water setting on the clothes washer to use less energy on water heating, wash full loads, and longer spin times to reduce the amount of drying energy needed. Water heating makes up about 90% of the energy it takes to operate a clothes washer.
- Don’t Over Dry Clothes: If the dryer has a sensor that automatically turns it off when the clothes are dry, use it. Dry full loads and clean the lint trap before every load.
As the weather and temperatures warm up, usually during March and April, usage and bills are expected to decrease.
There are several things that can be done to help control energy costs besides simply using less natural gas. One of the ways to use less energy is to replace old, inefficient appliances with new, more efficient ones. PG&E’s Marketplace is an online resource for customers shopping for energy-saving appliances and electronics. And, for more tips on saving energy this winter, visit www.pge.com/winter.
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LAKE COUNTY
Partnership tackles absenteeism
With boots on the ground, advocating for students and providing resources to families, the Lake County Office of Education (LCOE) Attendance Liaisons work hard to improve attendance in Lake County schools.
LCOE’s new program, Communities for School Success, was implemented in partnership with Lake County school districts to address the high chronic absenteeism rates in Lake County schools. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing two or more days of school, excused or unexcused, a month.
Angie DeMaria, a former Teacher at Terrace Middle School in Lakeport, is responsible for the implementation of this program and overseeing a staff of seven Attendance Liaisons. An Attendance Liaison is an individual who works directly with students to find solutions to improve their attendance rates. Each Liaison is assigned to a single school district.
Since the start of the 2021-22 school year, the Attendance Liaisons have reached out to 675 K-12 Lake County students. Of those students contacted, 65 percent of them showed improvement in their attendance.
Brock Falkenberg, Lake County Superintendent of Schools said, “When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.”
Students who are chronically absent are more likely to be behind in core subjects and drop out of school.
“I had a student that had an attendance rate of 53% in September. I worked with the school to enroll them in an alternate education program. Since enrollment in November, their attendance rate has been 100 percent,” said Attendance Liaison Brianna Kauble.
Barriers that are preventing regular school attendance include trauma, transportation, cultural differences or even students not finding school engaging or fun.
“Upon our first site visit, it was clear that the student had a major disconnect from school,” said another Attendance Liaison, Reyna Looney. “With incentives in place, the student has not missed a day of school for any reason since the 15th of November.”
Attendance Liaison Natahsa McKenny said COVID-19 has created anxiety and depression for students due to distance learning. Coming back to campus was not an easy transition for them.
“There are two students that stand out the most. Both were having anxiety about being back on campus. They made the decision to transfer to the continuation school. Since the students have made the transfer, they have gone to school every day and seem much happier.”
This Learning Communities for School Success program is a partnership between LCOE and the Lake County school districts and is grant funded through the California Department of Education (CDE).
For more information on attendance, visit our website at lakecoe.org/Attendance.
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