About the Pilot Program

• How was I selected to be in the Home Electricity Reports program? You are among a group of 35,000 randomly selected Southern California Edison customers in the cities of Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City who are receiving these reports as part of a pilot program.
• Is my community involved in this program? The City of Palm Desert is part of an innovative partnership with Southern California Edison, Energy Coalition and the Southern California Gas Company. This partnership is called "Set to Save," and the Home Electricity Reports are one part of this initiative. Visit www.settosave.com for more information on the Set to Save program.
• Who is sponsoring the program? Southern California Edison is sponsoring the program for all participants and for those in the City of Palm Desert, the program is being co-sponsored by the Palm Desert Partnership and Set to Save.

About the Neighbors in the Home Electricity Report

• Who are my neighbors? You are being compared to a group of about 100 neighbors whose homes are close to yours and similar in size. If you live in an apartment or condo, we select a neighbor comparison group that only includes other apartments and condos.
• Do the neighbor comparisons include seasonal residents? No. Since there are many seasonal residents in Southern California Edison's territory, we exclude homes that appear to be empty based on low energy use during the given period.
• Do the neighbor comparisons include vacant homes? No. We exclude homes that appear to be empty based on low energy use during the given period.
• Why do these neighbors provide a fair comparison? The neighbor group has been selected to provide a good comparison based on information that we have, such as home location and size. Some households may have particular situations that lead to higher or lower electricity use, but the average of 100 neighbors provides a good overall point of comparison.
• How can my neighbors be using so much less electricity than me? Your efficient neighbors have likely taken a variety of steps to reduce their electricity usage that might include installation of efficient appliances, using the thermostat to manage cooling costs and always remembering to turn off lights and devices when not needed. Visit www.sce.com or, if you are a resident of the City of Palm Desert, www.settosave.com, for information on ways to save energy.
• I have a pool, spa or other special appliance that uses a lot of electricity. So why would a comparison to my neighbors be appropriate? Many of your neighbors may not have a pool, spa or other special appliance, but some may. As an educational tool, the Home Electricity Reports are meant to show you how much additional electricity you may be using in your home compared to other homes nearby of a similar size. Although some households may have particular situations that lead to a higher or lower electricity use, the average of 100 neighbors provides a good overall point of comparison.

How the Home Electricity Report Works

• What is in the report? Home Electricity Reports are designed to provide new information to help you understand your energy usage and find smart ways to make your home more efficient. Each report includes:
  • Comparison to neighbors: For the first time, you'll see how your electricity use compares to the electricity use of your neighbors who have similar-sized homes.
  • Progress tracker: You'll also see how your energy use changes over time, so you can set targets for savings.
  • Energy efficiency tips: On each report, you'll receive tips chosen for you based on the time of year, your energy use and the characteristics of your home.
• How do you calculate the cost or savings in the report? The 12 month cost or savings is approximately how much more or less you will pay for energy if your energy use and patterns change to match that of your neighbors. The cost calculations are made using today's current energy rates.
• How do I interpret the graphs in the report?
  • Front Page: Each graph shows your energy use (gray bar/line), the average use of all selected neighbors (orange), and the average use of the most efficient neighbors (green). You can see if your energy use is more or less than your neighbors for the current period, and also for the last 12 months.
  • Back Page: Bars compare total energy use for the year to-date versus the same period last year.
• How do you pick the action steps for me? In each report we provide you with personalized tips that we expect will be useful based on your energy use pattern, information about your home and the time of year. Some may be actions you have already taken, but we will share many new tips throughout the year so you'll have many opportunities to learn and save.
• How can I measure my progress? The Home Electricity Report you receive in the mail can help you keep track of your progress — by comparing your energy use this year to last year. You can also use a power plug meter to measure the total electricity used in your home or for a given appliance.
• Is my report available electronically? We are in the pilot phase of the program. Right now, reports are only available in printed format.

About Your Usage

• How can I reduce electricity use in my home? The action steps on the second page of the report are designed to provide ideas on how to reduce electricity use in your home. You can find more information on saving energy and money at www.sce.com. Palm Desert residents may also wish to visit www.settosave.com.
• What is consuming the most electricity in my home? Typically the largest use of electricity in our area is for cooling. Other heavy electricity users may be your water heater (if it is electric) and appliances.
• Why did my electricity use go up/down compared to last year? There are many factors that influence electricity use, including:
  • Your behavior and the behavior or your other household members (e.g., how often you use appliances, lighting and other devices in your home)
  • Type of appliances in your home (e.g., age, condition and model)
  • Number of household members in your home
  • Weather
• How can I tell how much electricity my appliances are using? We can't determine how much energy your specific appliances use. However, products are available that can measure the usage of any appliance that you plug into them. They are available online for as little as $25.
• If I have gas in my home, what appliances and parts of my home use the gas energy? If you have a gas line in your home, gas may be used to power some or all of the following:
  • Heater (e.g. furnace)
  • Water heater
  • Stove, indoor grill and/or oven
  • Fireplace
  • Outdoor grill
  • Clothes dryer
• How do I know what kind of heater I have? Many homes have a furnace or a heat pump, but there are other types of heaters, too. Consult the U.S. Department of Energy to learn about types of heaters and consult diagrams to learn more about your heater.
• How do I know the age and type of appliance I have? Consult the appliance manual or the label on the appliance itself.
• How do I know the relative efficiency of my current appliance, device or other household item compared to other products available on the market? Generally speaking, older items are less energy-efficient than newer items. So if you know the age of your household item, that information can be a great starting point to get a general sense of its efficiency. You can also consult the owner's manual for the item for more specific information. The manual will usually describe the energy usage of your unit in terms of watts or BTUs. If you don't have the owner's manual, it may be available online or by calling the manufacturer. You can also look at the power plug or battery box for the item, which sometimes has a label indicating the wattage that the item uses.
  
  The U.S. Department of Energy provides guidance on how to learn about the efficiency of a particular product and how best to choose various household items. For items for which ENERGY STAR® is available, you can usually look up and compare specific models at www.energystar.gov. Otherwise, consult the owner's manual or product label information for the model you think is more efficient and compare it against what you already own.
• What is a kilowatt hour? One kilowatt hour equals the use of 1,000 watts of energy for one hour. A kilowatt hour is the measure of electrical energy commonly used for electricity billing. For example, a 100-watt bulb burning for 10 hours uses 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh).