SMUD offers tips to stay cool and save money

The first heat wave of 2022 is expected to begin on Friday with high temperatures through the week. Power reliability is a core value and SMUD has enough power resources to meet demand, barring a regional or state grid emergency, and we have additional crews on standby in the event of local outages. 

While SMUD customers enjoy some of the lowest rates in California, air-conditioning needs can drive customers’ energy usage and bills.

It’s easy to keep energy use in check without giving up cooling comfort. The first step is keeping your home from heating up, which can reduce immediate cooling costs and help save on long-term costs from wear and tear on cooling equipment. 

SMUD has energy-saving solutions available on its website and offers the following tips to save money:

• In the summer, use fans and close blinds on windows that get direct sun.
• Set your thermostat to 78 degrees. For every two degrees that you turn your thermostat up, you can save 5-10 percent on cooling costs.
• Use a programmable/smart thermostat to help control HVAC.
• Turn off lights and/or switch to LEDs.
• Avoid running large appliances at the same time and/or run them in the morning to save money. 
• Prepare cool meals or use the BBQ or small kitchen appliances that don’t heat up your home.
• Customers can save money and still stay comfortable by conserving power between the 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. time frame.
• Customers can also get customized tips, manage their bills and set up alerts on the website.

In the event of an outage, customers can report and track restoration times at SMUD.org/Outages and on the SMUD app.