Are you noticing higher energy bills lately?
Energy bills tend to go up during the winter. Shorter days mean we keep our lights turned on longer; the cold means we turn on our heaters more. And, for some of us, those factors mean a bigger gas bill.
However, your wallet doesn’t have to suffer the consequences.
Patricia Valdivia is a lifelong resident of Chula Vista. She lives in a seven-bedroom house with her family and you may be surprised by how much her monthly SDG&E bill is.
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”I think right now I have two days left, and so it was about $112,” Valdivia said.
Impressive! So what's her secret? Valdivia says it’s her commitment to energy conservation.
“I have rules for the kids. We can't turn on the heater until, if everybody has a sweater on and a blanket and it's still cold, then we turn on the heater,” Valdivia said.
She says she also avoids using her washer and dryer between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. and she won’t let her kids turn on lights or charge their electronics until after 9 p.m.
While these might seem like strict rules, they’re exactly what SDG&E recommends if you’re serious about saving money.
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“A lot of people don't know that water heating accounts for about 20 percent of your home's energy usage. This is the second largest expense,” said Candace Hadley, communications manager with SDG&E.
Hadley says to save money, lower the temperature of your water heater and don't take long, hot showers.
Inspectors from SDG&E’s energy savings assistance program visited Valdivia’s house for a walk-through.
They looked for the things that you can look for in your home, too, to make sure you’re not wasting energy and money. They made sure the air filters didn’t need replacing, they checked light fixtures for energy-efficient bulbs, and they inspected the insulation and water heater.
They also checked for gas leaks. The inspectors said you need to make sure your venting is actually venting outdoors.
They checked the carbon monoxide levels to make sure they were within the guidelines.
“It was very enlightening. I learned a lot, and so I'm very happy I did it,” shared Valdivia.
Another way to save money is by using a space heater to warm a single room, rather than heating your whole home -- but be careful. According to the National Fire Protection Association, heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths. Fire departments responded to an estimated average of 44,210 fires involving heating equipment per year from 2016-2020, accounting for 13% of all reported home fires during this time, and these fires resulted in annual losses of 480 civilian deaths.
San Diego firefighter Ulizes Sanchez says this time of year, the department sees a surge in emergency calls.
“Typically we do, usually because it's winter and it gets cold in San Diego, so we'll respond to more calls where people have heaters on and it's not something that we regularly use in San Diego because the weather's beautiful,” said Sanchez.
During the wintertime, you're probably going to use different methods to heat your home. If you end up using a portable heater, the fire department recommends that you keep it about three feet away from any objects like curtains, blankets, and pets.
Click here if you want to know if you qualify for a free energy inspection from SDG&E.
