First Steps
Lighting. Make a difference for the environment and your wallet every time you turn on a light. Use LED bulbs to save money and improve the quality of light in your home. You also help the environment as LED bulbs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. Learn more here.
Reduce standby power for electrical products. Turn off appliances and electronics when not in use. Plug into power strips wherever possible to control clusters of products. Learn more about standby power from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Using your SmartMeter. Learn how to fully utilize your home's SmartMeter to track your energy use from PG&E.
Turn off your spa when not used, and upgrade the spa cover and wall insulation.
Next Steps
Home energy checkup. Get a free home energy checkup from PG&E. This tool lets you quickly create a personalized energy plan just by answering a few questions about your home and energy usage.
Get a free water conservation kit. A water conservation kit consists of two high-efficiency showerheads, a hose nozzle, two bathroom faucet aerators, toilet leak tablets, and a kitchen faucet aerator. You can obtain a kit and view other water-saving resources at California Water Service Company.
PG&E rebates, such as $300 for an efficient clothes washer & dryer, $75 for a refrigerator, $200 for gas water heater, $500 for a heat pump water heater, and $100 variable-speed pool filtration pump. Download the rebate catalog.
Replace old appliances with Energy Star appliances. To see if there are sales tax exemptions or credits, or rebates on qualified products offered by participating Energy Star companies, visit Energy Star and US Dept. of Energy.
Big Steps
Retrofit your home to be more energy efficient. For a list of federal tax incentives visit Tax Incentives Assistance Project.
Investigate rebate programs. For a comprehensive source of information on state, federal, local, and utility incentives and policies that support renewable energy and energy efficiency, visit Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE).
Energy Upgrade California: This is an educational resource for California residents and small business owners for energy management concepts and programs that can help you better manage your energy use. Visit Energy Upgrade California.
Going solar has never been cheaper. Solar panels have come down dramatically in price in the last couple years. Click here to find out how much it would cost.
Install a cool roof. A high solar reflectance—or albedo—is the most important characteristic of a cool roof as it helps to reflect sunlight and heat away from a building, reducing roof temperatures. Learn about cool roofs here.
Install solar panels. The Go Solar California website provides California consumers a "one-stop shop" for information on solar programs, rebates, tax credits, and information on installing and interconnecting solar electric and solar thermal systems.
