May 2010 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.

• Stay cool and safe during extreme heat
  High temperatures can be life-threatening unless you take action to stay cool. During periods of unusually high heat, visit your local PG&E Cooling Center or other public buildings such as a theater, library, mall or museum.
  
  Tips to stay cool and safe:
  

  • Drink plenty of water, even when you are not thirsty
  • Take a cool shower or bath
  • Wear lightweight, loose, light-colored clothing
  • Stay out of direct sunlight
  • Avoid alcoholic or caffeinated beverages
  • Plan ahead—check your local weather forecast

  
  For more information about our Cooling Centers, visit www.pge.com/coolingcenter or call 1-877-474-3266.

• Temperature-sensitive customers: Get free notification before an outage
  If extreme heat poses a health concern for anyone in your home, you may request to receive a phone call before a rotating power outage occurs in your area.
  
  A rotating power outage is a scheduled, temporary electric service interruption. Each outage is based on block assignments and usually lasts between 60 and 90 minutes. To find your rotating outage block assignment:
  

  • Check your PG&E bill under the Electric Account Detail section
  • Visit www.pge.com/outageblock or call us at 1-800-743-5000

  
  To obtain a Temperature Sensitive Customer Application, visit www.pge.com/brochures or call 1-800-743-5000.
  
  Note: Block 50 is exempt from rotating outages.
• 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 is for customers who have low annual operating hours (generally less than 500 hours) and who are unable to minimize their use of electricity during the summer weekdays (May 1 through October 31) between noon and 6 p.m. However, it is not available to customers whose meter registers a maximum demand of 200 kilowatts (kW) or more for three consecutive months.
  
  (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 is 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 horsepower (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 is 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 is for customers who need to operate 24 hours a day for up to four consecutive days a week (Thu–Sun or Sat–Tue) during the summer but can minimize use from noon to 6 p.m. on the three remaining weekdays.
  
  AG-V is 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.
  
  Net Energy Metering Service (NEM)* is for customers qualifying for agricultural rates who operate a photovoltaic (solar) and/or wind electric generating facility on their premises with a generating capacity of 1,000 kW or less and which offsets all or part of their electric load while interconnected with PG&E. Agricultural customers must select one of the agricultural rate schedules listed on front. Direct access customers should contact their energy service provider for information about its net metering program.
  
  Net Energy Metering Service for Biogas Customer Generators (NEMBIO)† is 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 their premises and which 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 on front.
  
  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 more information, e-mail gen@pge.com (link) or visit www.pge.com/gen.
  
  *† Net metering customers may be responsible for expenses for purchasing and installing metering that can perform net energy measurements.
  
  E-SRG is a new rate schedule available for renewable generators up to 1.5 megawatts. For more information, e-mail gen@pge.com.
  
  DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAMS
  
  Demand Bidding Program (E-DBP) offers demand metered TOU participants incentives for reducing their power usage when contacted. AG-R and AG-V customers are not eligible.
  
  Base Interruptible Program (E-BIP) 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.
  
  Capacity Bidding Program (E-CBP) 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, bill detail, and account aggregation by going to www.pge.com/mybusiness.