November 7, 2002

"Now is the time for our customers to start preparing for colder weather and take measures that can help reduce their energy costs this season," said Pam Bass, senior vice president for customer service. 

Energy efficiency programs and products to help residential customers reduce energy consumption and save money include:

  • Online Home Energy Survey: By visiting www.sce.com and clicking on "Free Online Home Energy Survey" on the right hand side of the home page, residential customers take a 15 minute energy survey that will provide an informative report featuring customized charts and energy-saving tips.   The survey will show customers which home appliances use the most electricity, approximately how much it costs to use those appliances and what specific actions can be taken to lower their electric bill. 
  • Heating: Use a programmable thermostat to set your central heating system to come on only when you're home (a programmable thermostat also controls central air conditioning for year-round savings.) Buy a qualifying ENERGY STAR-rated model and you'll receive a $20 rebate, which can be half the cost of some models. In addition, customers can receive rebates of up to $500 for buying qualifying energy-efficient products, such as ENERGY STAR®-labeled central heat pumps, high-performance windows, room and central air conditioners, whole-house fans and pool pumps and motors.
  • Use CFLs:  With long winter nights, compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) are the most energy efficient choice since they use only a fraction of the energy and last up to ten times longer than ordinary incandescent bulbs. Customers can save up to 60% on the lighting portion of their electric bill by using CFLs throughout their home.
  • Energy-Efficient Holiday Lights:  By using light emitting diode, or LED lights for holiday decorations, customers can save on holiday lighting costs by up to 90% over standard decorative bulbs.  Depending upon the price paid per kilowatt-hour, 5 strings of LED lights only costs 80 cents per month to operate versus nearly $20 per month for five strings of C-7 lights. 
  • Conserve Energy Every Day: By following the energy-saving tips below, customers can see lower electric bills over the winter months.

- Apply weather stripping and caulking to your doors and windows to seal cracks and gaps.

- If you have central heating, have the ducts inspected and sealed.  Leaky ducts can cause a loss of up to 25% of a home's heat.

-Set your thermostat to 68 degrees while you're home, and program it for 55 degrees during sleeping hours.

-Shut doors and turn off the central heat register in unused rooms.

-Close drapes in the evening to keep the cold air out, and open the drapes during the day to let the sun's warmth in. 


For more information on SCE's energy efficiency programs, customers can go to www.sce.com and select "Save Energy & Money" or call 1-800-736-4777 weekdays during business hours.

Funding for these energy efficiency programs is provided by California utility customers and administered by SCE within its service area under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. 

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An Edison International company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of more than 11 million via 4.3 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within central, coastal and Southern California.  For more information on the California electricity market, see www.sce.com.