When Back to School Means Stay at Home, Saving Energy and Money Helps Make the Grade

The back-to-school routine has never looked more different this year with kids staying home on computers and tablets due to distance learning mandates. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reminds customers about programs and tips available to help save energy and money.

Back-to-School (at Home) Energy Saving Programs and Tools

• Energy Saving Programs: PG&E third-party programs offer a range of services to support energy efficiency needs and help customers save money. Some are offered at no-cost and there are programs available to owners and renters. To learn more visit https://www.pge.com/partnerprogram
• PG&E’s Marketplace: compare and shop for energy-efficient appliances and electronics to reduce electric costs and find the right model to meet specific household energy needs. To learn more visit marketplace.pge.com
• Smart thermostat rebates of up to $100 are available for qualifying products when replacing a current thermostat with a smart device. The new device can save up to $390 on cooling and heating costs as well as increase comfort. To learn more visit www.pge.com/smartthermostats

Back-to-School (at Home) Energy Saving Tips

• Plugging electronics into a power strip provides a convenient “turn-on/turn-off” point, so products are only on when in use. Unplug computers, appliances and equipment when not using them.
• Adjust the display on the television. Bright display modes are often unnecessary for homes and use a considerable amount of energy.
• If you turn your ceiling fan on when using the air conditioner, you can raise your thermostat about 4°F to save on cooling costs with no reduction in comfort. Turn off fans and lights when you leave the room. Fans cool you, not the room.
• Minimize the number of times the refrigerator is open and don’t leave the door open for prolonged periods of time. The average refrigerator is opened 33 times a day (and much more if you have teenagers at home).

PG&E understands that changes to energy bills can be difficult for customers and knows that energy usage increases during the summer for those who use air conditioning. Beyond that, during this public health crisis, PG&E knows many of our customers may face uncertainty and financial instability due to school and childcare closures, job loss and other economic impacts.

PG&E offers a variety of financial assistance programs to low-income customers, including those who recently lost their jobs and are receiving unemployment benefits. Our assistance programs include California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE), the Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) program, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) program and payment plans.

PG&E customers also have multiple rate plan options and can view a personalized rate plan comparison at pge.com to help determine if there is a more appropriate rate plan for their household.

As the communities we serve continue to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, we want our customers to know PG&E is committed to providing safe, reliable and affordable energy, and that we are continuously looking for additional ways to help during these challenging times.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

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