ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Energy efficiency is an effective and inexpensive strategy to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the home. Many efficiency upgrades are smart investments that will save money over time. In addition, Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments and  PG&E have developed several programs to support home efficiency improvements.

PG&E - Pacific Gas and Electric offers many programs and services to help its customers reduce their energy usage.

• Rebates and Energy Efficiency for Your Home (http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/rebates/)- PG&E offers a wide range of rebates, from instant savings on lighting products to their appliance-recycling program, to help you save energy and money.
• Energy Analyzer (http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/analyzer/) -The first step in achieving an energy-efficient home requires the understanding of where your energy is going. Is that 20-year-old refrigerator power hungry, or is it a matter of proper insulation? PG&E has created this tool to help you get answers.
• Energy Saving Tips (http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/savingstips/)
• Energy Saving Programs (http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/energysavingprograms/)- Find out about PG&E’s unique offerings to help conserve energy and money, and help the environment.
• Buyer's Guides (http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/eebuyersguides/)- You know there are more energy-efficient products out there, but which ones are they and where can you find them? What products should you install if you’re buying a new home or remodeling? Start with these buyer’s guides to help you make the right decisions.•
• Energenius Educational Series (http://www.pge.com/myhome/edusafety/teach/energenius/index.shtml)- Teaches kids to use energy wisely and safely with interactive, engaging programs for grades kindergarten through eight.

Central Coast Energy Services (http://www.energyservices.org/)- a not-for-profit organization which provides energy conservation, consumer education & advocacy, home improvement, utility assistance, job training, and other services to people in need. They run the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) in which applicants may be eligible for Weatherization Services. Energy efficiency-improving measures are done in the home to reduce energy costs. This program is available to renters as well as homeowners. Owners of rental property are not charged when these services are provided for their tenants. Weatherization services may include:

• Heating and gas appliance safety and efficiency inspection with possible repair or replacement of existing systems.
• On-site home inspection to determine energy losses.
• In-house crew implementation for installation of energy conservation and heat loss measures.
• Post work inspection of quality, safety, and client satisfaction

AMBAG (http://www.ambag.org/programs/EnergyWatch/resid.html)- The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments’ (AMBAG) Energy Watch program will help reduce energy use by providing the following free resources to eligible PG&E customers.

• Single-family and Multi-family Residential Direct Installation Program- Energy efficiency experts are going door-to-door in some neighborhoods to directly install Compact Fluorescent Lamps and interior hardwired lighting fixtures for qualified PG&E customers.
• Homebuyers Program- This program offers free home services to most residents in the AMBAG region. We enlist the help of residential real estate associations and other trade associations to reach homeowners with specialized, energy-saving services. These free services may include: an in-home energy analysis, a written home energy assessment, and compact fluorescent lamps.
• The Realtors® Edge- A program to help realtors assist home buyers to in accessing energy-saving information and services.

Home Energy Saver (http://hes.lbl.gov/)- The first web-based do-it-yourself home energy audit tool.

Energy Upgrade California (http://energyupgradeca.org)- A statewide program run by Ecology Action that offers incentives to homeowners who complete select energy-saving home improvements on a single-family residence. 

RENEWABLE ENERGY
Choosing “green power”, which is generated using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, geothermal, hydropower and various forms of biomass, is an important way to reduce your contribution to global climate change and improve air quality. There are several ways to switch to green power.

California Solar Initiative (http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/csi/index.html)- Learn all about solar energy and the state and federal financial incentives for installing a solar electric system on your home.

U.S. Dept. of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/)- Renewable energy certificates (RECs) can be purchased by any electricity consumer who prefers their energy to come from environmentally friendly sources. Customers can buy RECs whether or not they have access to green electricity suppliers. Visit this website to find a list of REC providers and tons of other information about the Green Power Network.