Here for You, Every Day
We’re pleased to provide you with this energy guide. It contains valuable assistance information, energy- saving tips and other important resources.
Whether you’re inter- ested in an easier way to pay your SDG&E® bill, how to conserve energy or knowing what to do in an emergency, this guide can help.
Contacting SDG&E
You can reach SDG&E 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling:
Voice (normal service requests):
1-800-411-7343
Voice (emergencies):
1-800-611-7343
TDD/TTY (hearing impaired):
1-877-889-7343 We suggest you keep these reference
numbers close to your telephone for easy access. Many routine requests can be made directly from our
website at sdge.com.
These
programs and services are one way SDG&E® is
here for you every day.
Extra Help for Those Who Need It Most
CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE
Financial Assistance
Save up to 35%
Save up to 35% on monthly SDG&E bills with the California Alternate Rates for Energy
(CARE) program. Eligibility is based on current household income and the number of people living in the home.
You may automatically qualify if you participate in certain public assistance programs.
Apply online at sdge.com/care or call us for more information.
Lower energy costs for those with medical needs If someone in your household has a medical condition or equipment that impacts your SDG&E bill, contact us. We may be able to help lower your energy costs. Average savings are about
$30 per month. Household income is not a factor for qualifying. Examples of medical conditions are:
Paraplegia
Hemiplegia
Quadriplegia
Multiple sclerosis
Scleroderma
Compromised immune system or life-threatening illness
Any other condition where additional heating and air conditioning is medically necessary to sustain the person’s life
Contact SDG&E for a
Medical Baseline application or download one at
sdge.com/medicalbaseline.
A doctor’s certification on the application is required.
Free Services and Appliances for Your Home
SDG&E will make repairs to your apartment, condo, house or mobile
home or install select
appliances through the Energy Savings Assistance
Program. Free services may include:
Weatherstripping
Caulking
Attic insulation
Duct sealing
Energy-efficient lighting
Minor repairs
Furnace repair
Renters need written permission from landlords to receive these services. Call the Energy
Savings Assistance Program at 1-866-597-0597 to find out if you qualify. TDD/TTY call 1-877-889-7343. Or visit sdge.com/energyassistance.
Payment Options
Online
SDG&E’s online bill pay service
— My Account — is convenient, easy, secure and free. This
payment option allows you to:
Choose the day and amount you’d like to pay.
Set up recurring payments.
Establish a payment
arrangement schedule if you can’t pay your bill in full.
Once you sign up, you’ll receive a monthly email message. This will let you know that your bill is ready to be viewed and paid online.
Level Pay Plan
If you’d like to have more predictable energy bills each month, our Level Pay Plan
(LPP) can help. This plan helps smooth out the ups and downs of your monthly SDG&E bill.
These highs and lows are caused by the weather and how you use your appliances.
LPP will average your annual energy use and costs during a 12-month period. You pay an average bill amount each month instead of actual charges.
Call us for an application or apply online at sdge.com/levelpay.
Payment arrangements If you have difficulty paying your SDG&E bill, call us as soon as you can. In many cases we can help you with an overdue bill by simply spreading it out over a few months. Our Customer Service Representatives will work with you to adjust payments to fit your needs.
Help paying your bill
If you meet established income guidelines, you may qualify for help with your SDG&E bill.
Emergency bill payment assistance and home repair services are available through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Call the Department of Community Services and Development at 1-866-675-6623 for more information. TDD/TTY call 1-916-327-6318 or use their relay service by calling 1-800-735-2922.
You can also visit their website at csd.ca.gov.
SDG&E has set up a fund to help customers who don’t qualify for government energy assistance funds. This fund helps customers who can’t pay their utility bill due to a temporary financial hardship.
Call 2-1-1 for the location of a participating agency near you.
Third-party notification You can designate a friend, relative or community agency to receive a copy of your late payment notices from SDG&E.
This “third party” can remind you that your payment is late and offer advice or assistance.
To enroll, call 1-800-411-7343 or visit sdge.com/thirdparty.
TDD/TTY call 1-877-889-7343.
Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Rebates on energy-efficient products for your home
SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help you save energy and money. We offer cash rebates for qualifying energy- efficiency upgrades or improve- ments you make to your home.
Before you make your purchase, please call SDG&E’s Energy Information Center at
1-800-644-6133. We’ll help you confirm if the product you’re thinking of buying qualifies for a rebate. TDD/TTY call
1-877-889-7343.
Energy-saving tips
There are some easy things you can do to reduce your monthly energy use:
Use cool or cold water when washing clothes.
Wash full loads of laundry and full loads in your dishwasher.
Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact
fluorescent lights (CFLs).
Fix leaky faucets to prevent hot water from being wasted.
Caulk cracks around your windows and doors.
Weather-strip your windows and doors leading outside.
Check your furnace filter every month during the heating season. Replace or clean filters when they’re dirty.
To learn how your home uses energy, take our free Home Energy Efficiency Survey. You’ll receive a personalized report that will show ways to save energy and money. Take the survey at sdge.com/survey.
Natural Gas Safety and Health
Marking appliances for the blind
If you or someone you know has impaired vision, contact us. SDG&E can send a service technician to the home to
mark the oven control dial for easier use.
Signs of a gas leak
For your protection, SDG&E adds a distinctive odor to natural gas so leaks can be more easily detected. This will help you know when you have a leak.
If you smell a natural gas odor, call SDG&E at 1-800-611-7343.
Use a neighbor’s phone, a cell phone from outside your home or a pay phone. Do not light a match, candle or cigarette.
Do not turn any electrical devices on or off, not even lights, and do not use any phones in the home. Remain in the area, but outside the home. Then let an SDG&E technician inside to locate and fix the leak.
Carbon monoxide
To safely and efficiently operate your gas appliances, have a licensed heating or plumbing contractor — or SDG&E — safety-check them every year.
Routine annual maintenance on your gas appliances will
help avoid dangerous exposure to carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas.
Exposure to carbon monoxide can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. The early stages of this condition produce flu-like symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath and mental confusion. Prolonged exposure can even lead to death by asphyxiation.
If you suspect the presence of carbon monoxide:
Immediately turn off and stop using the suspected gas appliance.
Seek medical attention if you or a family member is experiencing possible carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms.
Contact a licensed heating or plumbing contractor or SDG&E immediately to have the appliance inspected.
Do not use the suspected gas appliance until it’s been inspected, serviced and
determined to be safe.
Gas appliance safety
Never use your gas oven, range or outdoor barbeque to heat your home.
Keep grease away from gas range burners.
Never use water on a grease fire. Smother it with a fire extinguisher or baking soda.
Never store or use
flammable products such as gasoline, paint thinner or cleaning products in the same room or near any gas- or heat-producing appliance.
Know where the shutoff
valves are on gas appliances and locate the main valve near your meter.
Additional Resources
There are a variety of programs and services provided by
community agencies to help meet your needs in the areas of:
Crisis hotlines
Domestic violence
Shelter/housing
Food/clothing
Physical/mental health
Older adults & the disabled
Parenting
Call 2-1-1 for free confidential referrals to community
programs and services. Phone lines are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
2-1-1 isn’t available from some cell phones or work places. In San Diego, call 1-858-300-1211 or 1-858-311-1311 for TDD/TTY.
Or visit 211sandiego.org.
In Orange County, call 1-888-600-4357 or 1-949-764-1698 for
TDD/TTY. Or visit 211oc.org.
Vision Impairment
If you or someone you know is vision impaired, a Braille SDG&E bill is available. This brochure is also available in Braille. To
request either one, please call SDG&E at 1-800-411-7343.
For More
Information
SDG&E is committed to delivering the energy you need every day.
For more information on our programs and services, including income qualifications and
referrals to community
agencies, contact SDG&E at
1-800-411-7343. TDD/TTY call 1-877-889-7343. You
can also visit our website at sdge.com.
