Bay Area bracing for hot temperatures as residents urged to conserve energy

"There's no more than 15 of them each year. They're targeted to incentivize Smart Rate program customers. When you're enrolled in the Smart Rate program, you pay a reduced rate in exchange for minimizing your electricity use during 15 days out of the year, which are normally some of the hottest days out of the year, and specifically minimizing your electricity use between the peak hour times, said Stephanie Magallon, PG&E spokesperson."

"That's when people start getting home. They start turning on their air conditioners, they start doing all of these activities that use up a lot of energy. And it's specifically during those times when we ask customers to conserve energy, whenever we are looking at hot days like today, so that we don't strain the grid and customers are able to save on their energy bill if they do, wait until after 9 p.m. or before 4 p.m. to do these activities, Magallon said."

Bay Area cities facing high temperatures prompted many residents to start outdoor routines early to avoid heat. PG&E declared a Smart Day and emphasized conservation during peak hours of 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Smart Rate customers receive reduced rates in exchange for minimizing electricity use on no more than 15 of the hottest days each year, especially during peak hours. PG&E urged all customers to shift energy-intensive activities before 4 p.m. or after 9 p.m. to prevent grid strain and lower bills. Recent grid strain has impacted the state, and new technology is expected to shorten heat-related outage durations.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco