Electricity Bills Rising

To pick up on an earlier theme -- electricity bills are definitely going up, even though the economy is still the pits: see why PG&E rates went up on January 1.

Summer time is PG&E's peak -- the time when the most electricity is in greatest demand. And the more it is in demand, the higher the cost.

Best get your summertime energy conservations started now, or plan to get them started soon. These can include:

• Improving your windows with replacement windows that are more energy efficient
• Planting trees and bushes that may provide shade
• Installing an attic vent on your roof (especially one that is solar powered, so that it won't have any negative impact on your utility bill)
• Installing a programmable thermostat, which can be programmed to prevent the air-conditioner from running when cool air isn't needed (such as when you are not at home)

More summer time tips appear inside.

Microsoft's Bid to Control Energy Efficiency in Your Home

You thought only Google with its PowerMeter solution was going to help you save energy at home?

Well, the folks at Microsoft, who have been involved with developing various prototypes of home energy monitoring and control systems, have come up with Hohm.

See it work at http://www.microsoft-hohm.com/

Search National Database for Utility Rebates in Your Area

Thinking about buying a new appliance or upgrading your home to make it more efficient?

Look here for possible rebates or incentives from your local utility. We did, and we found rebates from the electric company and the water company for installing a high efficiency clothes washer.

What's more, some utilities and appliance manufactures offer cash incentives for you to get rid of your old refrigerators. Check out the ENERGY STAR website for news about local refrigerator recycling programs.

Whatever you do, don't spend a nickel until you make sure there isn't a rebate program in effective. It will help you stretch a little bit and buy a more efficient appliance, which can lower your total energy usage ... and your utility bill.

Smart Meters Create Headaches for Energy Users

The Good and Bad About this Emerging Technology

Smart meter technology -- which is a computer-based meter that the utility hooks up to your house that can provide you with real-time information about your energy use -- is coming. You may already have a smart meter attached to your home. If not, you will -- in about 5 years the majority of homes in the USA will be using smart electric and gas meters.

There are good and bad aspects.

• The good: You can look at your use in real time -- from your utility's website or from Google PowerMeter -- and take control of your use and bill.

• The bad: Your utility can read your meter automatically and remotely. That means no more meter readers walking around manually reading and recording your energy usage. Who can afford to lose a job in this economy?

• Also bad: More to the point of this blog, your electric bills may increase -- a lot -- and that in spite of the fact that you may have reduced how much energy you used.
  

To learn about this nasty possible blow back from smart meters, check out what happened to PG&E's customers in Bakersfield, California (read the comments from PG&E's customers -- $600 energy bill for just two weeks!)

Customers got new meters just when the big air conditioning season got started -- it can get really hot in Bakersfield).

And their bills went through the roof.

Energy savings can be achieved using these meters -- see how one newspaper tried to explain this -- but you have to be planning ahead.

Free Teacher Resources: Teaching Energy Efficiency in Class

Teach energy efficiency, meet curriculum standards, and help your students' families lower utility bills -- all for free!

For elementary and middle school teachers, the painful reality of the current round of budget cuts stemming from the international credit crisis mean only one thing: fewer dollars to meet state curriculum standards.

Electric utilities provide teachers free curriculum resources. In particular, books and educational websites. Also, many government agencies provide free resources for teachers.

Here are a few:

• National Energy Education Development Project: Provides workshops that help teachers and students learn how to teach energy conservation to students back in the classroom.
• Energy Information Agency: A page for students that provides facts, fun and games -- a resource for educators, who will have to build an education plan around this
  
• California Energy Commission: Energy Quest -- an online game/resource that includes teacher resources
  
• Wisconsin Energy Center: K-12 Energy Education Program

In addition, local utilities promote energy efficiency education, delivering booklets and teachers' guides for free to any educator in their service area. Many include website that support their programs.

Look for:

• Portland General Electric
• National Grid
• Gulf Power, Mississippi Power, Georgia Power, Alabama Power
  
• Pacific Gas and Electric
  

There are many more. If you are a teacher, call your local utility and see if they're offering free resources. If you're a parent, help your kid's teacher learn about these great tools.