A new limited time PG&E energy efficiency rebate where you can receive up to $3,500 in rebates from PG&E’s Energy Upgrade California pilot program. Limited to first 500 homes. San Francisco, Berkeley, San Mateo County, and other parts of the SF Bay Area and Northern California are in the PG&E service territory.  SMUD of Sacramento has its own similar program.

Qualification:

• You must own a single-family home or duplex and be a PG&E customer.
• You must be current on property taxes and liens.
• The amount of the rebate you get is based on energy modeling software that shows how much energy your home will save after an energy upgrade remodel.
• A home energy audit which includes energy modeling must be completed by a certified energy auditor.
• The rebate amount is based on how much less energy your home will use after the energy upgrades. A minimum 20% energy reduction receives $2,000 in rebates. Each additional 5% reduction beyond that earns another $375, up to $3,500.  (see chart below)

California Building Performance Contractors Association is certifying contractors working within the EUC PG&E Home Performance programs.

Contact your local Home Energy Audit firm today.

• Hire a home performance firm to perform an energy audit of your home.
• Work with your specialist to choose and implement cost-effective improvements to achieve your desired energy use reduction.

Be sure to take advantage of the Federal Tax Credit too!

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has recently added the voluntary Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) program that gives lower energy rates on non-CPP event days (non peak days) in exchange for higher rates on CPP event days. (high use Summer days)

You agree to pay higher peak rates of 60 cents a kilowatt-hour on no more than 15 days a year in exchange for a 3 cent discount on all other energy use times.

This is designed for businesses using more than 200 kW per month who can pull back energy use during peak days. The program has resulted in lower bills for some big customers like datacenters.

Interested in Solar Power but don’t have tens of thousands of dollars? Free Solar Panels?

Solar City has an interesting program where you lease solar equipment and pay a monthly lease. The SolarLease payment and lower electric bill will be less than your current electric bill. The company owns the solar panels and you rent them by paying the cost of the power.

They advertise a medium sized 4kW system with $0 down – free solar panels!, no security deposit for $110 a month with 3.9% annual interest rate for 15 years on approved credit.  When the solar lease ends, you can extend it, remove the solar panels, or upgrade to a new, more efficient solar system. Other providers should have similar offers in other areas.

Savings with Solar Panel Leasing (Credit: Solar City)

You can save $10,050 over the next 15 years, because you have locked in low price for solar electricity while utility rates continue to increase.

Sun Run partners with local companies to provide solar systems and financing.  They have a Solar Power Purchase Agreement or solar PPA where you pay a fixed, set rate for all the solar electricity produced by the solar panels. The rate is typically $0.20/kWh for the next 18 to 20 years. Sun Run also has a solar lease you pay a monthly payment to rent the solar panels on your roof. There may also be a small installation fee upfront with either plan, usually under $1000. PG&E recently invested in the company.

The amount of your monthly solar lease payment is the same each month, regardless of how much solar electricity your system produces. This is the main difference between a solar lease and a solar power purchase agreement.

Leasing your system does not qualify you for Federal or State solar rebates, the company installing them gets the rebates.

Read Are Solar Panels for me? and decide if  Solar Panels are in your future.

PG&E has an Energy Partners Program that provides income-qualified customers free energy education, weatherization measures and energy-efficient appliances to reduce gas and electric usage.

They provide:

• Attic insulation
• Caulking
• CFLs
• Door weather-stripping
• Energy-saver showerhead
• Minor home repair
• Water heater blanket

Free Education and Assessment, Installation and Delivery, and Free Inspections.

You can contact them at 1-800-933-9555

PG&E Energy Efficient Rebates are another way to save money.

Also read: Save Energy and money on your energy bill.

Pacific Gas and Electric has some free classes on various Energy conservation topics including Solar Power Basics for Residential Customers, HVAC, Water & Energy, and Lighting. It is always nice to get vendor neutral information.  Some classes are available online to any user.

Let’s face it, not everyone has tens of thousands of dollars to pay for a solar system and even with no money down leases, you still need to be informed.  Looking for new ways to save energy is only a class away.

Classes take place at:

Pacific Energy Center
851 Howard Street
San Francisco

and

Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Energy Training Center
1129 Enterprise St.
Stockton, CA 95204