SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) continues to partner with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others to promote the benefits of energy efficiency. Celebrated earlier this week, ENERGYSTAR Day recognizes the benefits of saving energy and money as well as protecting the environment during National Energy Awareness Month.
Started in 1992 as part of the federal Clean Air Act, ENERGY STAR is a federal voluntary program run by the EPA to help consumers save money and shrink their carbon footprint. According to ENERGY STAR, two-thirds of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. came from energy use in homes and other buildings. The ENERGY STAR label was established to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants caused by the inefficient use of energy.
“Energy efficiency is more important than ever with customers staying home more this year due to the pandemic. The ENERGY STAR rating system serves as an important guide for customers who are shopping for appliances and looking for potential rebates, and PG&E wants to make sure our customers know to look for the label,” said Aaron August, PG&E Vice President of Business Development & Customer Engagement.
PG&E rebates can help offset the cost of qualifying ENERGY STAR appliances. Customers who sign up for the Time-of-Use rate plan and purchase a qualifying ENERGY STAR smart thermostat may be eligible for a $120 rebate through the end of the year. The amount of the smart thermostat rebate recently increased from $50. The purchase of a smart thermostat combined with a Time-of-Use rate plan can reduce costs by shifting heating or cooling needs to times when energy demand and rates are lower, and the amount of renewable energy is higher.
“We understand the hardships our customers are facing during this unprecedented time and want to help them manage their energy bills. We are taking various steps to help customers save and believe increasing the rebate related to one of the highest energy costs in the home, heating and cooling, accomplishes that goal,” August said.
PG&E shares the following ENERGY STAR product specific savings to help customers save energy and money while helping to protect the planet this October:
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LED light bulbs: ENERGY STAR certified lighting uses up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs, lasts 15 times longer, and saves more than $50 in electricity bills over their lifetime. By replacing the five most frequently used light fixtures or bulbs in a home with ENERGY STAR models, customers can save nearly $45 each year.
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Washing machines and dryers: Save more than $370 over the lifetime of an ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer and even more with an ENERGY STAR washer/dryer pair. Clothes washers that have earned the ENERGY STAR rating use 25% less energy and approximately 33% less water than standard models.
- Water heaters: They account for 12% of residential energy consumption, costing a household of four up to $630 every year in energy costs. An ENERGY STAR certified electric water heater (known as Heat Pump Water Heaters) uses less than half the energy of a standard model. PG&E also offers a $300 rebate for qualifying products.
If every clothes washer, clothes dryer, dishwasher and refrigerator purchased in the U.S. this year were ENERGY STAR models, the equivalent of the greenhouse gas emissions from 450,000 cars would be avoided, and consumers would save more than $615 million in annual energy costs.
To find other energy-saving actions and rebates, visit www.pge.com. Customers can also compare and shop energy-saving appliances and electronics by visiting www.marketplace.pge.com.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.