Tips on your SDG&E bill… Residential Customers… by Arnie Garcia
Article 1: You may qualify for a discount on your SDG&E bill
SDG&E has several assistance programs to help lower your monthly energy bill while keeping your home comfortable.
- California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program (sdge.com/CARE): Save 30% or more every month on your bill. Eligibility is based on participation in certain public assistance programs, or household income and how many people live in your home.
- Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Program (sdge.com/FERA): If you don’t qualify for CARE, you may for FERA. You could receive a 12% discount on your energy bill. FERA is only open to households with three or more people.
- Medical Baseline (sdge.com/medicalbaseline): This program has helped over 30,000 people, who have a qualifying medical need or medical device, to lower their energy costs. Household income isn’t a qualifying factor.
- Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) Program (sdge.com/ESAP): You may receive free energy-saving improvements for your apartment, condo, house or mobile home; such as lighting, furnace repair, weather-stripping, attic insulation and select appliances like a refrigerator.
For details about our programs, visit sdge.com/Assistance, call 1-800-411-7343 or email billdiscount@sdge.com.
Article 2: Plug into Renewable Energy
Today, around 45% of the energy SDG&E delivers comes from renewable sources like wind and solar. Now you have the chance to increase that amount up to 100%. Join the thousands of customers who are getting renewable energy through the EcoChoice program. Enroll now at sdge.com/ecochoice.
People are switching to EcoChoice because you don’t have to install solar panels and these renewables are locally sourced which expands renewable energy in our region. When you enroll, we buy renewable energy from generating facilities built specifically for EcoChoice. Your participation helps support additional renewable energy facilities. The more renewable energy you buy, the more renewable generation we can build.
Article 3: Get a $75 instant rebate on a smart thermostat
Along with automatically controlling your home’s temperature and increasing the comfort of your home, smart thermostats are easy and convenient to control on your smart device or connected home system. Purchase a qualified Nest or ecobee smart thermostat and receive an instant $75 rebate. And make sure you don’t miss out on special holiday savings and incentives from Nest and ecobee! Visit sdge.com/instant to secure your coupon code that you take straight to checkout.
Article 4: Take a free tour of an automated home
The convenience of home automation is a great way to save energy and keep your family safe. Take a self-guided tour of a connected Smart Home at SDG&E’s Energy Innovation Center – a community resource for energy efficiency ideas, technology and green building practices. It features over 250 free workshops and classes and a tool lending library for energy-related home projects. Learn more at sdge.com/eic.
Article 5: Play Safe, Stay Safe
Did you know that if a mylar balloon contacts overhead electrical equipment or power lines, it can cause a power outage? The shiny appearance is from a metallic coating which can conduct electricity. In fact, if a person holding a Mylar balloon contacts an energized line, the balloon and person can become part of the electrical path to the ground – resulting in serious injury or even death. Please consider these precautions:
1. Never fly kites or metallic or Mylar balloons near electric lines.
2. If your kite gets caught in an electric line, don’t try to remove it. Stay away from the utility pole and balloon string. Call SDG&E immediately at 1-800-411-7343.
3. Do not cross a road or street while flying a kite.
4. Never fly kites in the rain or during an electric storm.
5. Make sure that kite string, wood, paper, or other kite materials are completely dry.
Visit sdge.com/safety for more ideas on how to keep your family safe.
Social Posts – Residential Customers
As leaves fall, energy usage can go up. Prepare for colder, longer nights with cozy clothes, insulation, and clean heater filters. For more energy-saving tips at home, check out sdge.com/save. #espsdge #DoYourThing
SDG&E has several programs to help lower your monthly energy bill while keeping your home comfortable. Get details atsdge.com/Assistance, call 1-800-411-7343 or email billdiscount@sdge.com. #espsdge
Are you thinking about going solar? Have you first taken all the energy-efficiency steps that you can? Attend SDG&E’s no-cost Energy Efficiency and Solar for Homeowners class on Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 5:30pm – 8pm. Sign up or learn about more free classes at seminars.sdge.com. #espsdge
Local electric vehicle (EV) drivers are charging with some of the cleanest energy in America. Today, around 45 percent of the electricity delivered by SDG&E comes from renewable sources – such as solar and wind. That’s more than five times higher than the national average of about 8 percent. #espsdge
Trash your paper bill. It’s easier to manage your energy bill online. Make secure payments, get your energy use information, and sign up for bill alerts with My Account. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date, too. Sign up atsdge.com/myaccount. #espsdge
Arnie García
