UCAN's Executive Director Michael Shames -- aka the World's Greatest Consumer -- is always looking for ways for consumers to save money - but especially on their utility bills.

As rising energy costs spur many homeowners to try and save money on their utility bills, one wise investment would be for them to have a home energy audit done to find out where energy is being wasted and how they can make the necessary changes or improvements to stop that waste.   Also, some consumers will compare their electric bills to those of their neighbors and find that their usage is inexplicably higher. 

UCAN spent some time researching companies that do home energy audits in San Diego County, and didn't come up with many (Check this link) http://tinyurl.com/mvptb4  so Shames decided to go to the experts at SDG&E for their recommendations. Strangely, SDG&E's staff didn't seem to have much information available either on how to get an audit, improve energy efficiency, and save money on your utility bills.  In fact,  SDG&E outright declined to post the names of any home auditors.....even though they acknowledged that they exist.

Fortunately, UCAN doesn't agree with SDG&E's preference to keep customers in the dark.   So it has and will continue to post the names of independent home energy auditors.  But we feel it may be useful for the public to know why SDG&E has declined to provide this information to its customers.    Check out the following e-mail correspondence: 

April 29, 2009

TO: Mark Gaines, San Diego Gas and Electric

SUBJECT: Making home energy auditor information available to the public

Hi Mark -

As a follow-up to our phone conversation today, I'd like to propose the following:

1. That SDG&E provide to UCAN any information it has about residential energy auditors so that we can make it available to the public after we've
vetted that list.

2. That SDG&E consider the merits of subsidizing or, in some fashion,facilitating the availability of in-home energy audits that utilize
voltmeters to test consumption of large energy consuming devices.

Please get back to me on these two requests. I'd also like to reiterate my point that SDG&E make greater efforts to have the monthly bills reflect more useful economic information for customers. Thanks.

Michael

Michael Shames
Executive Director
Utility Consumers' Action Network

From: Gaines, Mark

Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 9:22 AM

To: 'Michael Shames'

Subject: RE: Making home energy auditor information available to the public

Thanks for your suggestions Michael. I am having my staff look further into the options. I certainly would like to have a cost effective home audit
program. We will get back to you within a week with our thoughts. MG

On Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 5:34 PM,
Rebecca Giles, San Diego Gas & Electric, wrote:

Michael Shames has inquired whether SDG&E will be offering in-home audits for customers that may be prompted by Smart Meter installations to seek
additional help managing their energy. SDG&E will be taking the following steps. SDG&E currently offers free mail-in and on-line audits that we
believe are very valuable to customers seeking information on managing energy in their homes. This information is available on our website and in
our collateral material. We will be adding a link on our website that refers customers to Flex Your Power's website where a list of certified
in-home auditors can be found. If a customer is interested in a more thorough in-home audit, they can contact one of these contractors and pay
for that service and be confident in the quality of the work. We are not planning on offering incentives for the in-home audit because, as was stated
in the TAP meeting, we have not seen a strong correlation between in-home audits and actual installation of energy efficiency measures. We will
continue to monitor this issue and adjust our programs, if warranted, once the '09 EE programs are approved.

Rebecca W. Giles
Regulatory Case Administrator
SDG&E and SoCalGas

From: Michael Shames mshames@gmail.com
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 11:18 AM
To: Giles, Rebecca
Subject: Re: Making home energy auditor information available to the public

Rebecca -

I went to the Flex Your Power web site where in home auditors was addressed (http://www.fypower.org/res/energyaudit/professional.html)
and only found a link to the State Contractors Board. So I followed that link. It took me here (http://www.cbpca.org/homeowners/contractors.html). There's no San Diego energy auditor listed.......

So is it SDG&E's position that it will send it customers to a site that will send those customers to another site just so that they can
find that there are no state qualified in home auditors serving San Diego? Please advise.

Michael Shames

From: Giles, Rebecca
Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 3:18 PM
Subject: RE: Making home energy auditor information available to the public

Mr. Shames:

The CBPCA web site does contain one listing for the San Diego area, Sears, which operates state wide. Also included on the website is an email address and phone number where residents can request additional contractors serving the San Diego area. When we made such an inquiry for San Diego, the CBPCA provided additional names of contractors who have taken the appropriate training but have not joined the Association so they are not listed on the web site. We believe this information is the best available today to provide customers with reputable in-home auditing contractors and offers sufficient choices for interested SDG&E customers. However, for the vast majority of customers, we believe the on-line and mail-in audits provide comprehensive recommendations on energy savings opportunities and are their best value.

Rebecca W. Giles
Regulatory Case Administrator
SDG&E and SoCalGas