Recently I posted on Facebook that I relented and turned on the heater. Usually, it’s not cold enough, and we are all big fans of cuddly sweaters and socks, and of course piles of soft blankets. The other night I wandered down the hall and the thermostat said 48 degrees- NOPE. I turned on the heater to 68 degrees.

Someone commented that they wish they could do that. I realize that being able to run the AC or Heater is a privilege that not everyone has. I was in that position a few years ago, and then I looked into some of the programs that SDG&E offers (and I’m sure other utility companies offer as well). These programs are on their site, but you really have to dig to find them.

Here are a few programs that might be helpful:

Medical Baseline Allowance Program:  The Medical Baseline Allowance Program provides an additional amount of gas and electricity at the lowest rates for residential customers.  It is not a discount or a rebate.

Anyone who uses certain medical devices or needs space heating or air conditioning because of a medical condition may qualify. CPAP machines are on the list of qualifying medical equipment, as well as about 20 other medical devices. All the information and application can be found here.

CARE and FERA programs: For families that receive various social services or are lower income, these programs can save you 30% or 18%, respectively. To learn more, and apply, click here. 

Energy Savings Assistance program: This is a great program that I took advantage of many years ago. An SDG&E contractor came out and did some work to make our home more energy efficient. They replaced the weather stripping on our front door, gave us energy-efficient floor lamps, and did a few other things. This program is for families that receive various social services or are lower income.

With natural gas prices rising this winter, if you are eligible for any of these programs, or think you might be, it is definitely worth taking a little time to check out these links.

And another way I try to save money is to use Ohm Connect.  We’ve been using it for a few years, and they text and/or email you when you should conserve more power due to the demand on the power grid. It’s a win-win situation: You save money on your power bill, and you earn points from Ohm Connect that you can cash out for Paypal, Amazon, or Target Gift Cards, OhmConnect store credit (to buy energy efficient thermostats, smart plugs, etc.) You can learn more about OhmConnect here. It’s for Southern CA, New York, or Texas Residents. We save about $200/year on our power bill and earn roughly $150 in rewards. It’s a nice little extra for minimal work.