Debbie Mansfield, a senior executive at Google, recently opened up about her family’s energy consumption journey in their home near Golden Gate Park. Two years ago, they were facing nearly $4,000 in annual electricity and gas expenses. With rising rates from Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), she has successfully reduced their yearly energy costs to around $2,600. A significant lesson from her experience is that PG&E offers free energy-saving assessments, and utilizing expert advice can potentially cut energy bills by half.
In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Mansfield shared that she lives in a three-bedroom home with her husband and their young child. At the start of 2022, their monthly energy bill was more than $300. PG&E sent them several notifications, comparing their usage to that of similar households, and pointed out that they were consuming much more energy than average.
Feeling a bit embarrassed by the situation, Mansfield took it upon herself to make a change. Her commitment led to a series of energy-saving measures that ultimately resulted in a 60% reduction in their energy consumption. However, due to ongoing rate hikes, her monthly bill has only dipped by 35%, translating into an annual saving of $1,400, which breaks down to roughly $116 each month. She also mentioned that they purchased an electric vehicle this past spring, which adds an additional $175 to their monthly electricity expenses; without the EV, her monthly bill would be just over $40.
Mansfield highlights that PG&E offers free access to energy consultants for all customers, whether they own or rent their homes. Following the guidance of one such consultant, they made two significant upgrades: enhancing their home’s insulation and replacing their gas water heater with a heat pump model.
Other changes were more budget-friendly. They lowered the thermostat setting on their water heater to ensure the water was adequately hot for showers without being too hot. They also switched to energy-efficient light bulbs and formed a habit of turning off lights when exiting a room.
Over the past two years, PG&E’s energy rates have surged by 45%. In January 2022, the average monthly bill for customers was $219.80; by September of this year, it reached $281. Mansfield’s household expenditures at the beginning of 2022 were around $333 per month, but they now stand at just $217.
