How PG&E scaled home energy reports into wide-ranging energy reduction and bill savings

If you get power from PG&E in northern or central California, you may already receive a Home Energy Report, a periodic letter or email comparing your energy use to similar homes and offering saving tips. PG&E has expanded this program to about 3.2 million households since 2020, and it now accounts for roughly half of all the energy savings in the utility's efficiency programs. Since 2011, the program has produced an estimated $1.16 billion in customer bill savings, along with 2.26 terawatt-hours of energy saved. More than 860,000 low- and moderate-income households get these reports, which now draw on appliance-level data to offer more personalized tips from a library of over 150 suggestions.

PG&E has built on this with newer tools. Bill Forecast Alerts warn customers mid-billing-cycle if they're on track for a higher-than-normal bill, giving them a chance to cut usage before it hits. Peak Day Alerts, used by about 500,000 customers, ask people to reduce power use during high-demand periods, which can help grid reliability. There's also a Time-of-Use Rate Coach to help customers understand how shifting energy use to cheaper hours affects their bill. Small businesses get a similar version, called Business Energy Reports, now reaching about 100,000 businesses.

Looking ahead, PG&E is preparing a pilot program aimed at homeowners who may soon need to replace heating and cooling equipment. It would send targeted information about heat pumps and other electric upgrades, covering everything from choosing a technology to finding a contractor and using the equipment afterward. If you're in PG&E territory, it's worth watching for outreach like this as you plan any future HVAC replacement.