The electricity bill can be very expensive during the year. But that all changes when the summer months come around.

For many residents, the bill can go up 50% in some cases. I interviewed family households of four from different states, cities, and different households in town, searching to see if there is a difference between the cities, states, and households.

I realized that the location is one of  the major effects on the cost of energy. I asked three different households for information on what their bill comes out to at the end of March compared to the end of June. One household from Dallas, Texas said that their bill at the end of March came out to $163.78, while one household in the San Jose said their bill came out to $149.63 at the end of March, while a household in Los Banos came out to $134.24.

As shown the location of the house has a big difference on what they pay each month.  However their bills almost doubled according to them at the end of the month of June. Last year the family in Dallas, Texas paid $312.45 for electricity in the month of June. That is $148.67 more than what they paid in March.  The family in San Jose only paid $212.73, showing little increase because they live in a cooler area, while the household in Los Banos paid $251.28 during the month of June of 2022.

PGE bills can be very expensive during summer, so here are some tips on how to save money during the summer days. First, households can use a programmable thermostat this summer to automatically adjust the temperature when no one is home. Another tip is to turn off electronics and lights when not in use, such as having the TV on in the background when no one is really watching it. Another way to save electricity is to use your ceiling fans to circulate air instead of relying on the air conditioner. In addition, check windows, doors, and any other air leaks in a home to prevent the hot summer air from coming in and the cool air from leaving. Running appliances like the dishwasher, washing machine, drying machine during peak hours tends to save money when electricity rates are lower. Households can also check air filters for bad ones, since they can make an air conditioner to work harder and, therefore, run up the electricity bill. And lastly this tip, according to PG&E’s website can save residents up t0 $140 a year, and that is to add shade coverings and awnings so air conditioners do not have to work as hard.

There are only a few main ways to save money on the electric bill this summer, but you can also find some more helpful tips by going to this website.https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/save-energy-money/resources/summer-tips/summer-tips.page