PG&E Offers Tips So Customers Can Stay Safe and Keep Energy Bills from Increasing this Thanksgiving

Put Dimming the Dining Room Lights and Opening the Oven Door Less on your Holiday Menu

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (MPG) - As millions of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) customers get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, here are some ways to gobble up energy savings and serve a side dish of safety this turkey day.

“Holiday celebrations may look different this year as a result of the pandemic, and we want to help our customers keep electrical and gas safety in mind as well as ways to reduce energy costs. Whether you are gathering with a smaller, immediate family group or connecting virtually, we hope everyone finds time to safely enjoy this special time of year,” said Laurie Giammona, PG&E Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer.

PG&E shares these simple tips for customers enjoying the holidays:

• Start with a Clean Oven to reduce the risk of a grease fire and cook better tasting food this holiday—and if the cleaning starts early there is less to do after the meal.
• Keep the Oven Door Closed once the turkey starts cooking. Cut down your oven's energy consumption by using the oven light to check on food instead of opening the door. It will help maintain the correct temperature and minimize the oven having to reheat itself.
• Use the Stove Instead of the Oven as range-top cooking uses less energy. Also plan side dishes that can cook simultaneously with the turkey which will reduce the amount of time the oven is running. Use the microwave to reheat or cook small portions. This is great advice for customers enjoying a vegetarian celebration, too.
• Install a Dimmer Light Switch for the dining room light fixture. Dimming a bulb’s brightness by 10% can double the bulb’s lifespan. Keep the lights off in unused rooms.
• Use a Dishwasher and scrape plates instead of rinsing with hot water to save energy and money. Wait until there is a full load before starting the dishwasher. And, be sure to stop the appliance before the heated dry cycle; open the door and let your dishes air-dry.

Fire safety is critical on Thanksgiving as it is the peak day for home cooking fires especially when frying foods. Turkey fryers can easily tip over spilling hot oil across a large area. Customers should only use turkey fryers outdoors on a sturdy, level surface away from things that can burn.

PG&E also asks customers to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local guidelines to help protect communities from COVID-19 during the holidays. Wear a mask in public settings, avoid close contact by staying at least 6 feet apart (about 2 arms’ length) from anyone not in the same household, and wash hands often with soap and water.

For more ways to stay safe this holiday season, visit www.pge.com/safety.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.