Lower your summer cooling bill in Stockton
Cool the house before 4 p.m., let it drift a few degrees during PG&E's peak window, and use the cool nights instead of the AC when you can. Stockton is one of the easier places in California to do this, because July nights at the airport average about 61.1°F.
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The 4 to 9 p.m. problem
On PG&E's standard residential plan, E-TOU-C, the peak price applies 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. every day. On E-TOU-D it is 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. The hottest part of a Stockton summer day lands right inside those windows: the airport's July afternoons now average 96.8°F, and the heat inside a house peaks after that, in the early evening. So the hours when the AC works hardest are the hours when the electricity costs the most.
Check which plan you are on before changing anything; it is printed on the bill and in your PG&E account. Homes in Lodi buy power from Lodi Electric Utility, which has its own rates.
Average daily high and low by month, Stockton Metropolitan Airport
What to do about it
- Pre-cool. Set the thermostat a few degrees lower from about 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., then raise it 3 to 4 degrees for the peak hours. The house holds the cool for a while.
- Shade the west side. Close blinds and curtains on west and south windows by early afternoon. Outdoor shades and trees do more than indoor blinds.
- Use the night. Once the outside air drops below the inside temperature, usually in the evening, turn the AC off and open windows on opposite sides of the house. Close up again in the morning before it warms. July nights here average 35.7 degrees cooler than the afternoon high.
- Keep the filter clean and the outdoor coil rinsed. A dirty coil makes the system run longer for the same cooling.
- Run the ceiling fans in rooms you are in, and turn them off when you leave. Fans cool people, not rooms.
The Department of Energy's Energy Saver guide recommends setting the thermostat as high as is comfortable in summer and says each degree makes a difference over a season. A smart thermostat can run the pre-cool schedule for you.
Whole house fans
A whole house fan pulls cool evening air through open windows and pushes hot air out through the attic. In a climate with cool nights and dry air, it can replace a lot of evening AC run time. Lodi Electric Utility lists whole house fans among its home improvement rebates, alongside central air conditioners, air source heat pumps and duct sealing with testing. Check its applications for current amounts and rules.
When the bill means the system is the problem
If your summer bills jumped and your habits didn't change, the system may be losing efficiency: a refrigerant leak, a failing fan motor, leaky ducts, or a coil packed with dust. A tune-up or a duct test is cheaper than a summer of high bills. AC tune-ups and duct repair.
Questions Stockton homeowners ask
What are PG&E's peak hours?
On the standard E-TOU-C plan, peak pricing runs 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. every day. On E-TOU-D it runs 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. Check your bill for your plan.
Does pre-cooling the house save money?
On a time-of-use plan it usually does, because it shifts cooling out of the most expensive hours. Cool the house before 4 p.m. and let it drift a few degrees during the peak window.
Does Lodi Electric Utility offer AC rebates?
Lodi Electric Utility lists home improvement rebates for central air conditioners, air source heat pumps, whole house fans, duct sealing with testing and smart thermostats. See its rebate applications for the current amounts.