PG&E Tells Customers to Beware: Don’t be Spooked by Energy Savings Urban Legends

Shifting your energy usage to the evening will not immediately save you money, unless you’re on a Time-of-Use rate plan.
 
Conserving energy within high-usage hours during the afternoon and early evening benefits everyone by reducing stress on the energy grid.
Many electronics and appliances continue to draw energy even when they are turned off. If you want to save more energy, unplug electronics and appliances when they are not in use.

Vampire appliances draw electricity from outlets when equipment is turned off, but still plugged in. Household electronics such as televisions, computers, and entertainment systems act as energy vampires, typically sucking up to 20 percent of the average home’s energy use.
 
With the flip of a switch, customers can easily cut power to multiple devices plugged into a power strip all at once, saving up to $75 each year.

Leaving the light on when leaving a room for a few minutes won’t save energy as opposed to turning it off and on in a short timeframe.
 
In an average home, lighting accounts for nearly 15 percent of electricity costs. Turning lights off when not in the room is a simple way for customers to save approximately $45 a year.

Customers can explore Advanced LED lighting options on PG&E Marketplace, a one stop shop for all energy saving appliances and consumer electronics – including those that offer customers money back via a rebate. LED lighting uses 75 percent less energy than incandescent lightbulbs.
By replacing one traditional lightbulb with an LED lightbulb, customers can save $10 each year.

Running just two electric space heaters can cost the equivalent of heating an entire home with a gas-powered system.

Make sure you’re thinking safety first. Try to avoid using space heaters. If a space heater is needed, try not to use your central heating system at the same time.
Water heating accounts for 20 percent of a typical home’s total energy use.