SAN DIEGO, July 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With hot summer weather arriving in San Diego this week, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is offering tips for residential and business customers to save energy and money now and throughout the summer.

Increased energy use causes higher bills. Air-conditioning use typically increases when temperatures go up, and coupled with the rising cost of energy, some customers may see an increase in their upcoming utility bills. SDG&E offers a variety of tips, resources and solutions to help both residential and business customers find smart ways to reduce their energy use now to avoid being surprised by high bills.

"A key focus at SDG&E is to help provide the tools and resources to our customers and empower them to make smart energy decisions best suited for their home or their business," said Caroline Winn, SDG&E's vice president of customer services. "SDG&E has developed technology with a variety of customer tools that will be key to helping customers save energy, especially this summer."

SDG&E customers can take advantage of several tools and programs to help gain control of their energy use and find the best ways to save. With smart technology, customers no longer have to wait for their bill each month to find out how much energy they're using. Instead, today customers can take an active role in reducing their use through the following options:

Energy-saving tips for residential customers:

• Use fans. Use a ceiling or portable fan instead of A/C.
• Adjust your thermostat if possible. Set it to 78°F for summer A/C.
• Power down equipment and use smart strips. Unplug items when not in use or use a smart power strip.
• Switch off and replace. Turn lights off when you leave a room and replace regular bulbs with compact fluorescent or LEDs. 
• Seal and insulate your home to keep the cool air in during summer.
• Lower your water temperature or try a cold water wash with clothes, especially if you have an electric water heater.
• Change out a single speed pool pump to a variable speed one. SDG&E offers a $200 rebate on select models.
• Monitor your energy use. Go to My Account to check out the Energy Management Tool and sign up for energy alerts to receive email or text alerts when your energy use or spending goal reaches a certain limit.

Energy-saving tips for business customers:

• Visit sdge.com/good4biz for expert help, personalized tools, financial incentives and billing options.
• Understanding where and how your business uses energy is the best way to learn the smartest ways to save. Contact SDG&E's Energy Savings Center at 800-644-6133 and ask for an energy assessment for your business.
• Sign up for My Account to get an at-a-glance view of your energy use with the energy management tool under the My Energy tab, where you can:
  • See an overview of your energy use;
  • Get current bill and a forecasted bill for the month;
  • Review your hourly, weekly or monthly energy use;
  • Take the My Energy Survey for an online energy use audit;
  • Find out if you're on the best rate schedule for your business
• Smart thermostats help you better monitor and manage energy use. With a programmable communicating thermostat, you can remotely control multiple devices across different sites from a smart phone or tablet. Qualifying businesses can receive these devices for free.
• Keep the doors closed – If you have door closers, inspect and adjust them as needed. Close drapes, shades and blinds.
• Turn off equipment whenever you can.
• Make sure computers are turned off at the end of the day and when not in use.
• Time your electricity use. If you're on a time-of–use-rate, manage electricity use to avoid on-peak time periods. Learn about rates available for business customers.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs like CFLs or LEDs. Limit lighting during the day when possible.

Since 2012, SDG&E residential customers have been able to earn a bill credit for saving energy on specific days through Reduce Your Use Rewards. These Reduce Your Use days may be called on hot summer days when energy demand is high. This year, customers must sign up to receive Reduce Your Use email, text, or, new for 2014, voice alerts in order to participate and receive a bill credit. Visit sdge.com/reduceuse for information on how to sign up for alerts.

SDG&E also recently launched the Reduce Your Use Thermostat program that provides programmable communicating thermostats to eligible business and residential customers free of charge, and enables customers with the thermostats to receive a higher bill credit on Reduce Your Use Rewards days. The connected thermostats, either through Wi-Fi or connected to customers' smart meters, are able to receive a signal directly from SDG&E on Reduce Your Use Rewards days.

Visit sdge.com/save-money for more information on ways to save money every day or call Energy Savings Center at 800-644-6133 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to talk to an energy service specialist.

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 861,000 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. Connect with SDG&E's Customer Contact Center at 800-411-7343, on Twitter (@SDGE) and Facebook.

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SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)