San Diego Gas & Electric will institute its "Reduce Your Use" energy conservation rewards plan Thursday as heightened heat and humidity levels persist in the utility's service area.
While enough energy supply is available to handle the demand expected Thursday, reduced consumption between 11 a.m. and 6 a.m. will ease the strain on the region's power grid, SDG&E officials said.
Customers signed-up for Reduce Your Use alerts via email, text or voice messages will be eligible to earn a bill credit of 75 cents per kilowatt hour saved.
To reduce energy consumption, residents can close their blinds and curtains during the warmest hours of the day; use a ceiling or portable fan instead of air conditioning, raise the thermostat setting four to six degrees, run major appliances and pool pumps in the early morning or at night, and unplug chargers and power strips.
This will be the first Reduce Your Use day of the summer. The program was previously activated during the May wildfires and in February when extreme cold in most of the U.S. created a natural-gas shortage in Southern California.
Customers can learn more about the program and sign-up online.
