{"id":230432,"date":"2026-03-21T20:16:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T20:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/230432\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T20:16:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T20:16:34","slug":"pge-shares-tips-to-keep-your-home-cool-without-raising-your-energy-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/230432\/","title":{"rendered":"PG&E shares tips to keep your home cool without raising your energy bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK\/KBFX) \u2014 Spring arrived with summerlike heat as temperatures climbed well above normal, driven by a strong high-pressure system over the Southwest.<\/p>\n

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A person uses an umbrella to block the sun while waiting to take a photo at the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign Monday, July 8, 2024, in Las Vegas. After causing deaths and shattering records in the West over the weekend, a long-running heat wave will again grip the U.S. on Monday, with hot temperatures also predicted for large parts of the East Coast and the South. (Wade Vandervort\/Las Vegas Sun via AP)<\/p>\n

Emily Wilson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service<\/a>, said a powerful ridge of high pressure is responsible for the unusual warmth. \u201cWe\u2019re having a very strong ridge form over much of the Southwest, and that’s basically causing the temperatures to rise very dramatically for our area,\u201d Wilson said. She said average temperatures for this time of year are typically much cooler. \u201cOur averages for this time of year are about 70 degrees,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n

With the heat arriving early, some residents said they are trying to limit air conditioner use. Miguel, an Oildale resident, said, \u201cJust trying to stay inside the house and turn the AC on in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith said the utility typically sees higher electricity usage during the summer months of June, July and August, but this month could be different because of the early heat. \u201cSeeing 90 plus degree temperatures in March is certainly unusual,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

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Smith said PG&E expects demand to rise but is not concerned about impacts to the overall power grid. While the grid is expected to remain stable, increased air conditioner use can still drive up individual household costs. He said the bigger effect for many customers could be higher monthly bills. Because the heat is arriving earlier than usual, customers may see higher-than-expected energy use reflected in their April bills. \u201cReally the biggest driver of customers energy costs is always going to be the air conditioner,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

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To stay comfortable while keeping costs down, Smith recommended using cooler parts of the day to bring indoor temperatures down. \u201cOpen your windows and your drapes early in the morning and let that natural air in to cool your home. Same thing in the evening. Bring the overall temperature of your house down,\u201d he said. He also advised, \u201cDon\u2019t use your air conditioner when you\u2019re not home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A pedestrian holds a cloud themed umbrella under a sunny day next to Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles Thursday, March. 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Damian Dovarganes)<\/p>\n

Smith also recommended using fans, which are less costly to run than air conditioners. \u201cWe want to make sure that we provide as much information as possible so our customers know how to help keep their bills in line,\u201d he said. With more heat expected in the coming months, PG&E encourages customers to start energy-saving habits early to avoid higher summer bills. <\/p>\n

PG&E also offers programs and discounts, including bill assistance and energy-saving programs, to help eligible customers lower their monthly energy costs.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK\/KBFX) \u2014 Spring arrived with summerlike heat as temperatures climbed well above normal, driven by a strong…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":230433,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[151,153,152],"class_list":["post-230432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bakersfield","tag-bakersfield","tag-bakersfield-headlines","tag-bakersfield-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230432"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230432\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/230433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}