PG&E presents winter heating safety tips, STEM scholarships
WATCH: Filipino high school student’Kyle Mondina’s PG&E Solar Suitcase. CONTRIBUTED
SAN CARLOS, California — As the year ends, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), invited its ethnic media partners to a Multicultural Media Roundtable to get the word out on how to safely get ready for the cold temperatures that come with the holidays and winter months
The utility company also announced the PG&E 2017 STEM Scholarship Program that provides high school and college-bound students, veterans and adults returning to school the opportunities to learn and be part of California’s clean energy future.
PG&E is partnering with We Share Solar and WE Charity to provide a new education program for California high schools focused on solar energy and STEM education.
Winter Energy Savings and Safety Tips
PG&E stresses that it’s easy to schedule a free in-home safety inspection of gas appliances. Inspections help ensure that gas appliances, including water heaters, furnaces and covers, are operating safety and efficiently.
During the visit, PG&E will also re-light pilot lights and check carbon monoxide detectors with no charge to the customer. To avail of such service, customers can call Customer helpline at 1-800 743 5000.
Assisting household usage:]
Customers can take a free online Home Energy Checkup to understand where their household uses the most energy. With this simple online assessment, customers will find out how much of their household’s energy goes to heating, hot water, appliances, lighting and more. They will also receive a customized list of tips to make their home more energy efficient and potentially save money.
If not, PG&E advises the following:
- Install carbon monoxide detectors to warn when concentration levels are high. Make sure all carbon monoxide detectors are installed near sleeping areas and common areas. Replace the batteries at least twice a year and check expiration dates, most detectors have a shelf life of 5 to 7 years.
- Never use products inside the home that generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, such as generators, outdoor grills, propane heaters. And never use cooking devices such as ovens or stoves for home heating purposes.
- When using the fireplace to stay warm, make sure the flue is open so venting can occur safely through the chimney.
- Make sure water hearers and other natural gas appliances have proper ventilation.
- For more safety tips and keeping your house warm in the Winter visit https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/save-energy-money/resources/winter-tips/winter-tips.page
To top the informational round table, PG&E staff announced two new residential Time-of-Use rate plans now available.
Customers will pay lower prices for electricity used during periods of low demand when energy supply costs are less expensive such as late night, early morning, and mid-day:
ETOU-A offers lower prices before 3p.m and after 8 p.m. on weekdays and during all hours on weekends and holidays.
ETOU-b offers lower prices before 4 p.m. and after 9 p.m. on weekdays, and during all hours on weekends and holidays.
2017 STEM Scholarship Programs
This year PG&E is awarding $5,000 scholarships renewable up to 4 years to students pursuing STEM studies in California schools. Targeted majors include Engineering, Computer Science/Informational Sustems, Cyber Security and Environmental Sciences. In addition, PG&E is providing hand-on experience in the energy industry by offering opportunities for paid summer internship to all winners.
Applications available in January 2017 at www.pge.coom/education-programs.
Better Together Classroom Grants: Solar Suitcase Program
At the media briefing Kyle Mondina, a new immigrant from the Philippines and a student from Independence High School in San Jose, was introduce. Mondina is already attending a magnet school for exceptional students and is part of a group learning to construct a sustainable solar powered suitcase that can provide electricity for 6 to 8 hours a day to a classroom or operating table.
Mondina and a group of high school students will be going to Kenya this summer to donate the completed solar suitcases to underserved communities. Mondina said that he intends to learn more of the Kenyan culture and their situation so he can advocate for them upon his return to the U.S.
He was chosen among participating students groups who have submitted videos of their own local sustainability projects. Winning schools choose students and teacher representatives to deliver suitcases to orphanages, schools and medical clinics in Kenya with international nonprofit, The WE Charity.
Additional suitcases will be sent to energy-poor regions around the world. This unique global Opportunity for local high school students adds a new dimension to PG&E’s commitment to education and renewable energy.
The WE Share Solar Suitcase is a portable photovoltaic lighting system, powerful enough to illuminate a small room. PG&E is supplying more than 100 Solar Suitcase units to 19 selected high schools to participate in the second year of the program and provided each school with more than $8,000 worth of equipment and professional development training in partnership with the nonprofit We Care Solar.
PG&E’s senior vice president for External Affairs and Public Policy Helen Burt said that what she loves about this program is that “it combines education in clean energy with fostering a spirit of community service. It’s about helping students act locally and think globally.”
PG&E staff present were Fiona Chan, Corporate Relations, Fong Wan, Senior VP, Energy Policy and Procurement, Lori Leiva, Manager, Residential Rate Options, Benjamin Pearce, Supervisor, Gas Field Services, Eric Lam, Gas Service Representative, Wendy Fukamaki, Manager Community Relations, Genesis De Guzman, Media Manager and Hailey Wilson, Corporate Relations.
For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
