Lights out again? During hot summers in California, it’s becoming all too familiar of a feeling. If you’re frustrated with another outage, learn more about why PG&E has these annual shutoffs we have all become so familiar with, and what you can do about them. Switching to solar and choosing the right battery backup system can help you and your family enjoy a much more comfortable summer!
Learn Why Summer Brings More PG&E Shut Offs and What You Can Do About It
Why do public safety shut offs happen?
The public safety power shut offs that we’ve become familiar with are a safety precaution designed to help prevent wildfires. PG&E will shut off power to certain areas and lines in response to weather conditions and other factors, including:
- Low humidity
- Windy conditions
- Red Flag Warnings from the National Weather Service
- Other factors
These outages are sometimes brief, but other times can last multiple days. The utility company will attempt to notify you in three days, two days before the outage, one day before, and then immediately before the outage happens to give you notice. They will then communicate during and after power has been restored. This could happen at any time of day or night. If you’re a PG&E account holder, you will receive these notifications automatically if the company has your updated information. If you believe you need to update your contact information, click here.
Furthermore, we can expect to become even more familiar with these shutoffs in the coming years. As of Fall 2019, the utility company stated that it expects these outages to continue for up to 10 years.
How can I prevent them from impacting my family?
While these shut offs are intended to protect public safety, going days without power can be frustrating or even harmful for California residents. If you’re looking for other solutions, you are not alone. In response to these shutoffs and days without power, more and more homeowners are switching to solar systems and backup battery power.
Switching to solar power and the right backup system can help you save money on your monthly PG&E bill and provides you with the peace of mind in knowing you have a backup available should the lights go out.
Looking for even more reasons to go with a backup system? PG&E itself even offers some incentives if you switch to battery storage. Learn more about their program and eligibility requirements here.
If you’re thinking of going solar this summer, don’t wait. We will help you find the right solar solution and backup system for your household. To ensure you can keep your power on, get in touch.