We Can Guess How Much Your San Diego Electricity Bill Increased This Past Year

Energy rates seem to go up every year, but much of the time, the increase is small, and you don’t really notice unless you keep very careful records of such things. However, this year, you may have noticed that your electricity bill was exceptionally high. It’s not your imagination. Rates from San Diego’s major electricity providers, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE), both hit consumers of electricity with substantial rate hikes.

At the beginning of 2017, both SDG&E and SCE changed the tiered rate structure, which means San Diego residents are now paying higher prices for much of the energy they’re using. SDG&E residential customers can be expected to pay almost 11% more this year for electricity than they did last year. The reason for the rate increase, according to SDG&E, is to cover the costs of “…new power lines, upgrades to substations and higher prices forecasted for natural gas.”

Even very energy conscious homeowners have seen an increase in the cost of electricity because rates in the lowest tier have risen.

What About Future Energy Rates for San Diego?

It probably comes as no surprise that energy rates will continue to rise, even after this latest rate hike. In 2019, SDG&E is scheduled to roll out time-of-use (TOU) rates. So, not only will your bill be determined by the amount of electricity you use, but also by when you use it. You’ll pay more in peak hours, like during the hottest times of the day in the summer. Not good news for people who spend a significant amount of time at home during the day!

What Can You Do to Combat Rate Increases?

With energy rates increasing, about the only recourse you have is to use less energy. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to suffer through hot summer days without running your air conditioner.

Replacement windows and doors for your San Diego home can make a world of difference in the amount of energy you use to heat and cool your home. Really—they can! Many of our customers tell us about the noticeable difference they experience in their indoor temperatures, as well as in their energy bills. They also tell us that had they known how much more comfortable replacement windows and doors would make their San Diego homes, they would have had them installed years ago! At BM Windows, we install replacement windows and doors with some of the best energy-saving technology available!

On pleasant San Diego days, you can also open your windows and doors to allow breezes to cool your home and save on cooling costs. But if you have older windows or patio doors that are difficult or impossible to open, this may not be an option. Replacing old windows with new ones that are easy to operate means that you will use them more often as a means to regulate the temperature in your home, saving you money.

Installing energy-efficient replacement windows and doors in your San Diego home is one of the best home improvements you can make because it is one of the few projects that will actually save you money (not to mention the improvement it will make to the look of your home).

Contact BM Windows for Replacement Windows and Doors

Are you ready to find out more about replacement windows and doors for your San Diego home? We’d love to talk to you and answer all of your questions. Contact us today to set up your free, in-home consultation.