DISCOVER ENERGY-SAVING TIPS FOR A COOLER SUMMER

As the sun’s rays intensify, so does our reliance on air conditioning Let’s explore ways to keep your home cool while trimming energy bills, plus other energy-saving tips.

1. Save with Golden State rebates: Receive rebates toward the purchase of energy-efficient products like smart thermostats, heat pump water heaters and room air conditioners. Get details at sdge.com/rebates and for the product list, visit GoldenStateRebates.com.

2. Cool down with a fan. Use ceiling and tabletop fans to cool off and leave the thermostat at a higher temperature. Turn fans off when you leave a room as fans cool people, not rooms.

3. Fire up the grill. Take the heat out of your kitchen by cooking outside. It’s also a good excuse to get your family outside and away from electronics.

4. Delay chores. Shift some chores like laundry and running the dishwasher outside of the on peak hours of 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Save even more if you do laundry on the weekends before 2 p.m.

5. Give your dryer time off. Consider outdoor line-drying on sunny, breezy days to save on natural gas costs.

6. Use less hot water. Water heating accounts for 30% of your home’s total energy use. The longer you run hot water, the higher your energy use and bills. To save, reduce how much hot water you use and turn the temperature on your water heater down a little.

7. Block the sun. During the heat of the day, cover windows to block the sun’s heat. If you can, open windows at night and in the early morning to let in cool air.

8. Charge while you sleep. Before going to bed, plug your devices in so they can recharge during super off-peak hours which are less expensive.

9. Pre-cool your home before 4 p.m. Take advantage of lower-priced energy by setting your A/C between 68⁰ and 74⁰ F before 4 p.m. During on-peak hours of 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., adjust your thermostat to 78⁰, health permitting. 10. For more ideas on how to save energy, visit sdge.com/MyEnergy.