Utility Automation & Engineering T&D - Energy commission urges Californians to keep saving energy and money in 2003

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 30, 2002 -- The state's energy crisis in the winter of 2000-2001 made most Californians acutely aware of how they use energy.

When natural gas bills skyrocketed and tight electricity supplies caused power outages, many consumers invested in energy efficiency as a way to control their bills and help protect the State's energy supplies.

The result was a dramatic drop of up to 14 percent in electricity use in California in 2001. And while the electricity crisis has abated, Californians are still using less in 2002 than they did in 2000. This summer, roughly a third of the residential customers of California's investor-owner utilities cut their electricity use by at least 20 percent over their usage in 2000.

When differences in weather and economic conditions are factored in, Californians cut their electricity consumption this November by an estimated 3.3 percent over November 2000. For the three-month period between September and November, 2002, Californians reduced their electricity use on average by 4.2 percent when compared to 2000, the base year.

"Californians seem to be making some important lifestyle changes in the way they consume electricity," said Energy Commissioner Robert Pernell. "Consumers are using it more wisely, with less waste. Simple improvements that have been put in place -- like energy efficient construction practices, for example -- will automatically deliver positive energy savings for years to come. Other simple energy tips require effort, but can pay off for consumers in big dividends."

The arrival of cold weather can make energy efficiency even more important. An average of 30 percent of all the energy used in a typical home goes for heating. "Unfortunately, unless a home is new or has been upgraded to take advantage of new technology, a good deal of that energy expense can be squandered," Pernell said.

As an example, he noted that the heating bills for a three-bedroom, 1,700 square foot home built today will be about 75 percent less than the bill for the same house built in 1977, the year the California Energy introduced the first Energy Efficiency Building Standards. Thanks to improved methods of construction and new products required by the Standards, newly built homes are not only more energy efficient but also more comfortable than pre-1977 houses.

The regulations, part of California's Title 24, require new home construction and additions to meet certain minimum standards in order to reduce energy waste.

"Since these standards went into effect, they have saved Californians an estimated $12.5 billion in electricity and natural gas bills," said Pernell.

"By resolving this New Year to use energy efficiently, California homeowners can lower their wintertime energy bills," said Energy Commissioner Pernell. "Just as importantly, by adopting these simple energy ideas, we will ensure that our California remains the most energy efficient state in the nation."

For the New Year, an expanded version of this release offers valuable energy tips on weatherstripping, heating, lighting and home energy uses. It is available on the Energy Commission's Website at www.energy.ca.gov/releases.

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