PG&E has increased rates for all customers to support their poles and wires (T&D). This affects Pioneer and non-Pioneer customers equally – everyone’s rates will go up the exact same dollar amount.
Don’t be misled. We guarantee that Pioneer’s savings over PG&E have not changed. Calculate your savings in El Dorado and Placer County.

General Energy
Saving Tips

Commercial Customers Save with Pioneer

Commercial customers have energy needs that are unique and vary widely depending on the industry or business. Finding ways to save energy can mean big operational energy savings, a smaller carbon footprint and improved profitability. Businesses can qualify for efficiency programs and earn rebates for energy-saving purchases when they consider new machinery or appliances to improve operations and conserve energy.

Pioneer is committed to being your community-owned resource and to helping our commercial customers research and implement options to save money on their energy bills. We’ve curated information from specific industries and provided energy-saving tips and tricks which reduce consumption and ultimately improve your bottom line. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ENERGY STAR program provided many of the cost and energy-saving recommendations found here.

Lighting Tips

  • Switch off lights that are not in use.
  • Affix “Save Energy” stickers near the switches as a reminder.
  • Remove excess lighting in areas that are too bright.
  • Maintain only those lighting which are essentially needed for safety, security or other specific purposes in areas that are infrequently occupied.
  • Maximize daylight usage. Use task light to minimize general overhead lighting.
  • With few people working in the office, switch off the non-essential lighting and use task lighting to directly illuminate work areas.
  • Install occupancy/motion sensors to automatically control the on/off of lighting in public areas such as corridors, bathrooms, etc.
  • Install lighting zone control wherever possible to switch lighting off in unoccupied areas.
  • Keep all windows, light bulbs and light fittings clean to maintain optimum lighting performance.
  • Replace T8 and T12 fluorescent bulbs with Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps or LED retrofit kits.
  • Replace screw-in CFL and incandescent lamps with Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps.
  • Replace conventional “Exit” signs with LED “Exit” signs for energy-saving and longer lamp life.

Heating and Air Conditioning

  • Set thermostats at 68 degrees (F) in the winter and 76 degrees (F) in the summer.
  • Install occupancy/motion sensors to adjust temperature settings of the air-conditioning in those areas infrequently used, e.g. conference rooms.
  • Keep the windows and doors closed when the AC is turned on and use curtains or blinds to shade against sunlight.
  • Switch off lighting and heat-producing appliances that are not in use to reduce air-conditioning load
  • Install thermometers to monitor the room temperature to avoid excessive cooling or heating.
  • Set the fan coil to “low” fan speed as the normal setting.
  • Using a ceiling fan or a floor fan can achieve two objectives. First, the cool air can lower a person’s body temperature. Second, the fan can evenly distribute the cool air around the room. These benefits allow the thermostat to be set a couple of degrees higher or lower which results in further energy savings.
  • Clean filters and fan coil units regularly.
  • Remove obstructions at air inlets and outlets of the AC and ventilation.

Reduce Water Consumption

There are some simple ways to reduce water consumption and lower your water bill.
  • Install Low-Flow Aerators – Consider using low-flow aerators or flow regulators that limit the amount of water flowing out of the faucet and lower the GPM to save you money.
  • Repair Leaky Faucets – Over time, the drips from a single leaky faucet add up. Instead of wasting water and money, repair your faucets with new components.

For more ways to save please visit the ENERGY STAR website.

If you have any questions about other ways to reduce your energy bills, please contact your Pioneer Community Energy team by email at info@pioneercommunityenergy.org or by phone at (916) 758-8969.

Solar Customers Receive Annual True-Up

Pioneer issued checks to solar customers with a cumulative net surplus of energy (known as Net Surplus Generators) during May for the March/April billing period if their credit balance (calculated at the Net Surplus Compensation Rate) for the past 12 months exceeded $25.00. Credit balances of less than $25.00 were rolled forward and applied to the next bill.

A few of our clients have contacted us to confirm the check’s authenticity. Rest assured, it is indeed real! If you receive a Blue or Orange check from Bill.com with a reference to Pioneer, it is safe to deposit. 

We take pride in helping our solar customers save; Pioneer pays $.005 (1/2 cent) per kWh more than PG&E for any over-production sold back to the grid (Net Surplus Compensation Rate or NSC).