High Bill Help

Looking for ways to save on your electric bill this winter? We're here to help with tips and tricks to lower your energy use and keep your home comfortable.

Three easy actions to save energy and money

Sometimes it can be difficult to pay your bills. Especially during the winter season with colder temperatures and longer nights. That’s why we have options and unique ways to help.

Track your energy use

  • Sign in to your PGE account online to see your energy use by the day, week or hour. Look for “My Energy Use” to see where you use energy and where you can save.  

  • Fill out the Home Energy Analysis quiz to get customized recommendations for your home.

Heating your home

During times of colder temperatures, your heater works harder to maintain the temperature you want. Use it as much as you need to stay comfortable, but remember to lower the temperature when sleeping or away from home. Also, have your boiler serviced every year.

If you have baseboard, ceiling or wall heaters, consider turning off the heat to unused rooms (just watch out for mold).

Heating your water

Lower the water heater temperature. 120 degrees is perfect for showers, dishes and laundry. And it’s an easy adjustment to make on your water heater. Here’s some more ways to cut hot water use.

More tips to warm your home for less

Use an instant-read cooking thermometer to see if the air temperature matches your setting. If you can, you might want to upgrade to a smart thermostat. You can get a good deal on a new thermostat when you purchase from the PGE Marketplace. We also offer free or low-cost smart thermostats to homes with qualifying heating and/or cooling systems.

Set your thermostat for your comfort. Just remember, turning it up higher doesn’t heat your home faster – it just makes your heater work harder than it may need to.

When you are home, set your thermostat to 68. When you are away or sleeping, set your thermostat to 60.

Close fireplace dampers and doors when not in use.

Install foundation vent covers in fall to keep wind and cold from creeping in under your house. Vent covers can also help prevent frozen pipes. Remove them in spring.

  • Make sure your ducts are sealed or insulated, and use weather-stripping or caulking around doors, windows, pipes and cracks. No matter how efficient your heating and cooling system, you’ll waste energy and your home will feel drafty if it isn’t weatherized.

  • Air travels in and out of your house through every little gap and crack. Insulating and sealing your home’s shell minimizes those air leaks and keeps your heated or cooled air insideCommunity Energy Project can help.

Lights are often left on longer during darker days. Other familiar culprits that use a lot of energy in the winter months are inefficient holiday lights, new appliances or big screen TVs, leaving lights on in unoccupied rooms and hot tub pump problems or leaving the insulating cover off. Here are some great ways to save:

*Savings will vary based on circumstances

In cold months close curtains at night to prevent heat loss. Curtains and blinds made of heat-insulating material are especially useful.

Having guests or additional people home during the day can increase energy use for hot water, cooking and cooling. New appliances or air conditioning units, big screen TVs, pools, hot tubs and fountains can also increase costs from the previous year.

Want more tips? We’ve got ‘em: See No-Cost & Low-Cost Tips.

Our energy tracking tools can help you save

Use our free online tools for renters and homeowners to see when and how you use electricity, analyze your bill and get a custom savings plan.

Income-Qualified Bill Discount

Our Income-Qualified Bill Discount program provides ongoing, monthly help with your electric bill in addition to any other assistance you may be getting from us or other agencies.