‘Shouldering’ Your Home’s Energy Load In The Summer

PALM DESERT – The month of May often brings the year’s highest Edison electricity bills. It all comes down to what’s called a “shoulder month.”

Kathy DeRosa with Southern California Edison explains, “A shoulder month is when the weather turns hot but we still have an identical baseline mode. Edison’s rates change on thefirst Sunday in June to summer baseline, which increases the baseline allocation credit.”

In other words, in the month of May, Edison is playing by winter rules, which Mother Nature doesn’t agree with in the Desert.

Rancho Mirage resident Hilde Archuleta said, “It is a little disconcerting to get your bill, since you’ve been used to a lower bill and now it doubles or triples. I will be watching it.”

Your air conditioning is almost like your car. It needs a tune up every once in a while. Getting your A/C tuned up every two tothree years is a good idea.

DeRosa adds, “Edison can come out and puta device on your air conditioner which can give you as much as $200 in credits for the summer time. This allows Edison to control your air conditioner in the event of an emergency when we might need some power.”

Your refrigerator is also an energy hog. Keeping it full means it doesn’t have to work as hard to stay cool.

Here’s a trick: Take a dollar bill, stick it in your freezer or refrigerator door. If it doesn’t stay in place when you take your hand away, it means cold air is escaping and you need new seals.

So, if you thought May’s power bill was high, chances are June will be a bit better.

To sign up for an SCE home energy audit, call 800-278-8585

To have SCE install a remote control on your air conditioner for the Summer Discount Plan, call 800-497-2813 or go to www.sce.com/sdp.