SAN DIEGO, Aug. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With temperatures soaring recently in Southern California and more hot weather ahead, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is offering a variety of tips and resources for customers to keep their homes cool while saving energy.

• Conservation: There are many ways to cool your house without using equipment that needs energy. For example, adding shade trees and awnings can help keep a home cool by blocking the sun's rays. So will closing blinds, shades or drapes during the hottest part of the day. Weather stripping around doors and caulking around windows can help keep cool air inside, and warm air outside. Proper insulation in your home is also key; SDG&E offers rebates of $0.15 per square foot on attic and wall insulation.
  
• Active cooling: Using central air-conditioning is comfortable but can be expensive. Options that can save energy and money include a whole-house fan, evaporative coolers and room air-conditioners. SDG&E even offers a $50 rebate on qualified energy-efficient room air conditioners. If you do choose to use central air-conditioning, SDG&E's AC Quality Care (acqualitycare.com) program offers a no-cost System Assessment & Improvement ($300 value) that will help ensure your heating and cooling system is working as efficiently as possible. You may also qualify for rebates of up to $1,050 for additional services and upgrades.
  
• Energy Savings Assistance Program: SDG&E's Energy Savings Assistance Program provides free energy efficiency upgrades to income-qualified customers. If you're on a limited income, have lost your job, or receive benefits from a public assistance program, you may qualify for the Energy Savings Assistance Program.  Upgrades may include new appliances, door and window weatherization, attic insulation and minor home repairs that seal your home from the summer heat. To see if you qualify for this program, in addition to California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), which is helping more than 300,000 families save up to $275 per year on their SDG&E bill, call 866-597-0597 or visit sdge.com/assistance.   
  
• Energy-efficient home upgrades: The Energy Upgrade California program offers incentives for home improvements that can make your home more comfortable in all seasons, keep temperature and humidity consistent throughout your home, and even improve your home's air quality. Incentives range from $1,000 to $4,000. Visit sdge.com/energyupgrade to learn how to get started with a participating contractor who can perform a comprehensive assessment, help you choose which upgrades are best, and help you apply for rebates, incentives and available financing.

More information on programs and tips to save energy and money at home this summer is available at sdge.com/summer  or by contacting the SDG&E Energy Savings Center at 800-644-6133 or ESC@semprautilities.com.

SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 850,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The utility's area spans 4,100 square miles. SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help customers save energy and money every day. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.  

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SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric