PG&E Offers Customers Tips to Cook Up a Savory & Sustainable Holiday Season

Press release from PG&E:

[By Pink Sherbet Photography from USA]

Thanksgiving Dinner Turkey Drumstick Leg On Paper Plate free creative commons, CC BY 2.0, Link

As kitchens fill with hearty Thanksgiving favorites, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is helping customers cook up festive and energy-efficient holiday meals with simple no-cost actions to maximize their energy savings.

Kitchens can consume up to 15% of your home’s energy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. From casseroles to cornbread stuffing and other wintry weather fare, the energy required to cook your seasonal feast can gobble up a significant part of your holiday energy bill.

Before you roll up your sleeves this year, PG&E wants to help customers whip up a win for their wallet and comfort with these energy and money-saving tips:

• Convection Connection: If your oven has a convection setting, use it! It cooks food faster and at a lower temperature, which saves energy, money and keeps your kitchen cooler.
• Keep a Lid on It: Roast your turkey and side dishes with lids on pots and pans and use glass or ceramic dishes. This reduces cooking time and saves energy and money.
• Don’t Peek: Every time the oven door opens, the temperature inside is reduced by as much as 25 degrees, forcing it to work harder and use more energy. Use the oven window instead.
• Call in the Crockpot: Use a crockpot, hot plate, or microwave for smaller meals instead of the stovetop or oven to serve up energy savings. Interested in an induction cooktop? Give one a test drive with the PG&E Induction Cooktop Loaner Program.
• Use the Dishwasher: Skip the rinse – just scrape and go! Using your dishwasher is more energy efficient than washing by hand. Wait until there is a full load before starting the dishwasher and be sure to stop it before the heated dry cycle.
• Potluck Power: Encourage your guests to bring their signature dishes, reducing the energy load on your oven and stovetop.
• “Watt” Else Can You Do? When the feast is over, dim the lights and switch to low-energy activities like board games or sharing stories. Make memories without maxing out your energy bill.

To watch a video on how to save money and be a more energy-conscious cook, click here.

A Fire-Safe Holiday

Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home cooking fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The spike can often be linked to multitasking in the kitchen, and distractions that can make you lose track of what is cooking on the stove and in the oven. By following a few simple safety precautions from the PG&E Safety Action Center, you can keep your family fire-safe this holiday.

Energy Efficiency DIY Tool Kit

Did you know you can lower energy bills and save money with PG&E’s DIY tool kit? With a $200 investment in energy-efficient materials, customers can save nearly $1,000 each year.

Energy Appliance Calculator

Have you ever wondered how much electricity your appliances and electronics are using? Use an Energy Appliance Calculator to help you better understand how much money you are spending to use them.

Tools to Manage Winter Bills

• Make sure you’re on the right rate plan: View your personalized Rate Plan Comparison to find the best rate for how your household uses energy.

• Keep bills predictable: Level out monthly payments and offset high seasonal bills with Budget Billing, a free tool that averages your annual energy costs to help manage monthly bills.

• Sign up for bill notifications: Make changes to your energy use before you receive your next bill with Bill Forecast Alerts. Notifications are sent by email, text or phone alerting the customer when the amount due on your monthly bill is projected to go over the amount you specify.

• Flexible payment plans: By using Payment Arrangements customers can set up a payment plan and choose the payment method that works best for your household.
• Free home energy checkup: Get a personalized Home Energy Checkup to assess what’s using energy in your home and get recommendations on how to cut consumption and save money.

Income-Eligible Assistance Programs   

• California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE): Provides a discount of 20% or more each month on gas and electricity bills.
• Family Electric Rate Assistance Program (FERA): Offers a monthly discount of 18% on electricity bills for households with 3+ people.
• Medical Baseline: For eligible residential customers who have additional energy needs due to certain qualifying medical conditions. Eligible customers can get an additional monthly allotment of power, or a discount based on your rate.
• Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH): Offers one-time financial assistance to qualified customers with past-due bills.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than sixteen million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news