7 months ago, my husband and I purchased one awesome house! Our home was built in 1878 and has been remodeled to bring it back to all of its Victorian glory. We frequently have to pinch ourselves because we seriously hit the jackpot when it comes to the cool factor with our home. Owning an old home doesn’t come without its quirks and high costs. Anytime we open things up to do a little updating, it’s like opening a can of worms of issues that need to be corrected. One of our big goals with this house is to Lower Home Energy Costs with PG&E Tools, so we can make it more energy efficient.
Having a big old home (two key words there) is more expensive than I ever realized, and energy costs are a big part of the reason. Keith has been working on sealing up doors and windows, and has plans to have insulation blown into the attic, among many other updates (ceiling fans, whole house fan, etc.). Having PG&E reach out to me to showcase their tools to help customers lower home energy costs couldn’t have been timed more perfectly. I learned a few things that can help us, and I hope they’ll help you too!
A couple of tools we are using to help us achieve lower cost and efficiency are the PG&E Electric Rate Plan Comparison and Home Energy Checkup tools. With the Electric Rate Plan Comparison you can see what you would have paid over the last 12 months on other rates for which you’re eligible, compared to your actual bills under your current rate.
Until recently, I didn’t know we had rate plan options. Curious what that could mean? Right now I’m on the Tiered (E1) plan where the price of electricity goes up when I use more than my tier limit. One option I could switch to is the Time-of-Use 4-9pm plan. What this means is that electricity usage is highest during those hours, so if we cut down our usage between the hours of 4-9pm, we can save money. Answer a few questions about your energy habits to see how your costs change with the rate simulator, and see what other plans might be the best option for you.
The Home Energy Checkup is a free resource aimed to help customers better understand and manage or lower home energy costs. We as the customer have a choice when it comes to energy rates and energy behaviors, and the more we understand how our usage affects our rates, the more we can do to help the overall cost. The tool breaks down how much of your home energy goes to heating, hot water, appliances, lighting and other uses, and then provides tips on how to reduce your energy consumption and lower your home energy costs each month. All you have to do is answer a few basic short questions about your home and your lifestyle habits.
So, ready to see how you can reduce your home energy costs? Log into your PG&E account and you’ll have easy free access to both tools.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PG&E. The opinions and text are all mine.
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