August 2009 Bill Inserts

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Each month, PG&E offers important information on rebates, saving energy and safety in printed inserts that accompany your bill. Now, access this information online whenever you wish.

• Our Energy Partners Program offers free services to help reduce your energy usage
  Available for income-qualified customers
  The PG&E Energy Partners Program offers qualified customers who own or rent a home free energy education and energy-efficient measures which may include:
  

  • refrigerator replacement
  • door replacement and weather-stripping
  • attic insulation
  • compact fluorescent lighting

  
  Customers who qualify for a monthly discount through CARE (California Alternate Rates for Energy) may also be eligible for the Energy Partners Program. To find out more call 1-800-989-9744 or visit www.pge.com/energypartners
• Breathe easy with CARE during these challenging economic times
  Save money on your PG&E bill every month with CARE/FERA
  Applying is free, easy and confidential
  
  California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program provides a monthly discount on electric bills for income qualified households. Learn more or download an application
  
  Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Program provides a monthly discount on electric bills for income qualified households of three or more. Learn more or download an application
• Agricultural Customers
  You may save money by selecting an alternate electric rate schedule
  
  The electric rate schedules available to agricultural customers are summarized below. Compare your current rate schedule, found at the beginning of the Electric Account Detail section of your Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) bill, with the ones listed below. Detailed gas and electric rate schedule information is available at www.pge.com/rateoptions.
  
  A FREE RATE ANALYSIS IS AVAILABLE TO YOU
  Contact your local PG&E business representative or call PG&E's Agricultural Center at 1-877-311-3276 (FARM) to request a free electric rate analysis, rate schedule change, or additional rate option information. You may also do your own rate analysis online at www.pge.com/mybusiness.
  
  RATE SCHEDULES
  
  AG-1
  This schedule is not available to customers whose meter registers a maximum demand of 200 kilowatts or more for three consecutive months. Customers who have low annual operating hours (generally less than 500 hours), and those who can’t minimize their use of electricity during the summer weekdays (May 1 through October 31) between noon and 6 p.m. might benefit from this rate schedule.
  
  (Note: A Time-of-Use (TOU) rate may still be the best choice even if you need to run equipment from noon to 6 p.m., so please review the TOU rate options below.)
  
  The TOU schedules listed below may save you money if you are able to shift your hours of energy usage. A TOU meter is required for service on all TOU schedules. If a TOU meter must be installed to meet this requirement, the installation will generally occur within four weeks of your request. There is no charge for the meter installation; however, meter access is required at all times.
  
  AG-4
  For customers with moderate annual operating hours (generally 500 to 1,200 hours). Additional savings are possible if you can minimize electricity use on summer weekdays between noon and 6 p.m. Customers whose service has a single motor load of at least 35 hp or multiple motor load of at least 15 hp may save even more on the AG-4C Rate Schedule if they can minimize usage on summer and winter weekdays from 8:30 a.m. through 9:30 p.m.
  
  AG-5
  For customers with high annual operating hours (generally greater than 1,200 hours). Additional savings are possible if you can minimize electricity use on summer weekdays between noon and 6 p.m. Customers whose service has a single motor load of at least 35 hp or multiple motor load of at least 15 hp may save even more on the AG-5C Rate Schedule if they can minimize usage on summer and winter weekdays from 8:30 a.m. through 9:30 p.m.
  
  AG-R
  For customers who need to operate 24 hours a day for up to four consecutive days a week (Thur–Sun or Sat–Tues) during the summer but can minimize use from noon to 6 p.m. on the three remaining weekdays.
  
  AG-V
  For customers who can minimize electricity use on summer weekdays during any one of these time periods: 12–4 p.m.; 1–5 p.m.; or 2–6 p.m.
  
  *NEM: Net Energy Metering Service. For customers qualifying for agricultural rates who operate a photovoltaic (solar) and/or wind electric generating facility with a generating capacity of 1,000 kW or less on their premises that offsets all or part of their electric load while interconnected with PG&E. Agricultural customers must select one of the Agricultural Rate Schedules listed above. Direct Access customers should contact their Energy Service Provider (ESP) for information about the ESP’s net metering program.
  
  *NEMBIO: Net Energy Metering Service for Biogas Customer Generators. A limited pilot program for bundled service customers on TOU rate schedules who operate an eligible Biogas Digester Electrical Generating Facility located on or adjacent to the customer’s premises that offsets all or part of their electric load (including the load from any of their qualifying dairy farm TOU accounts) while interconnected with PG&E. Agricultural customers must select one of the Agricultural Rate Schedules listed above.
  
  *Net metering customers may be responsible for expenses for purchasing and installing metering that can perform net energy measurements.
  
  Customers interested in interconnecting more than one generator, each subject to different rate treatment (for example, NEMBIO and NEM solar) on a single account, can now do so. For further information, contact PG&E via e-mail at gen@pge.com.
  
  Check with Pacific Gas and Electric Company at www.pge.com/gen for current NEM & NEMBIO requirements or for more information.
  
  E-SRG is a new rate schedule available for renewable generators up to 1.5 MW. For more information e-mail gen@pge.com.
  
  DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAMS
  
  E-CPP
  The Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) Program provides lower energy rates on non-CPP event days in exchange for higher rates on CPP event days. You can maximize your savings by reducing or shifting your energy usage away from the CPP event window on CPP event days. This program is only available to AG-4 and 5 (rate options C&F) customers.
  
  E-DBP
  The Demand Bidding Program offers demand metered TOU participants incentives for reducing their power usage when contacted. AG-R and AG-V customers are not eligible.
  
  E-BIP
  The Base Interruptible Program offers participants incentives for reducing their electric load down to a firm service level when contacted. AG-R and AG-V customers are not eligible.
  
  E-CBP
  The Capacity Bidding Program offers participants incentives for reducing energy consumption by a nominated capacity amount when contacted.
  
  To see if a demand response program is right for you, please visit www.pge.com for additional program requirements and details.
  
  Please visit the Business Services section of www.pge.com for energy saving tips, safety messages, rebate programs for energy efficient products and more. You can also obtain information on energy usage, billing history, rate comparison tools, energy outage and restoration status, detail of bill and account aggregation by going to www.pge.com/mybusiness.
• What types of energy resources make up PG&E's power mix?
  PG&E delivers some of the cleanest electric power in the nation. In an average year when rainfall is normal, approximately 50% of the electricity delivered to the 15 million Californians we serve emits no carbon.
  
  
  
  PG&E works with its customers, communities and various stakeholders and agencies to find innovative ways to procure, build and deliver clean energy. We are planning for the future by exploring and investing in new technologies that harvest energy from the sun, ocean waves, tidal currents and agricultural waste. And we are actively investing in state-of-the-art, cleaner sources of fossil-based power to meet growing demand.
  
  Note: Due to rounding conventions, the numbers above add up to to an amount greater than 100%.
• Power Content Label
  Note: This content is provided to you under state legislation (Senate Bill 1305), as implemented by the California Energy Commission.
  
  

  ENERGY RESOURCES	PG&E POWER MIX* (Projected)	2008 CA POWER MIX**1 (For Comparison)
  Eligible Renewable	15%	2%
  • Biomass and waste	4%	0%
  • Geothermal	4%	<1%
  • Small hydroelectric	4%	<1%
  • Solar	<1%	0%
  • Wind	3%	<1%
  Coal	2%	34%
  Large Hydroelectric2	16%	18%
  Natural Gas	47%	42%
  Nuclear	20%	5%
  Other	1%	0%
  TOTAL	100%	100%

  
  * At least 95% of PG&E’s Power Mix is from PG&E-owned resources, purchased from individual suppliers, or provided by the California Department of Water Resources.
  
  ** Percentages are estimated annually by the California Energy Commission based on electricity sold to California consumers during the previous year.
  
  For information about PG&E's Power Mix, contact PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000. For information about the CA Power Mix or for general information about the Power Content Label, contact the California Energy Commission at 1-800-555-7794 or www.energy.ca.gov/consumer.
  
  ¹ 70% of California's electric supply is generated or purchased by the state's investor-owned utilities, the majority of the state's municipal utilities and various other retail energy providers. The 2008 "CA Power Mix" shown above lists the remaining 30% of California’s power that is generated or purchased from other sources.
  
  ² A significant amount of the energy generated by PG&E comes from clean, large hydroelectric power stations, which under California law, do not qualify as an eligible renewable resource.
  
  Note: Due to rounding conventions, the numbers above add up to an amount greater than 100%.