PG&E’s energy conservation efforts continue in Merced

Merced County residents will now be able to check out power meters from their local library to find out if their appliances are energy efficient.

The Kill-a-Watt EZ meters assess the amount of electricity drawn from a device. The meters are meant to help people reduce their electric bill by learning what appliances are worth keeping plugged in.

Pacific Gas and Electric and the Great Valley Center will donate the meters and host a presentation Wednesday morning to teach residents how to use the meters to reduce their energy bill.

According to organizers, people may be surprised to learn how much energy appliances use even when they are off.

The presentation will take place at 10:30 a.m. at the Merced Library, 2100 O St.

To place a hold on a meter, people can visit www.mercedcountylibrary.org and search for Kill-a-Watt EZ or ask library staff for assistance.

Also in conservation efforts, PG&E recently awarded Merced’s Healthy House a $65,000 grant to help with water and energy conservation outreach activities.

The PG&E-funded activities are part of Energy Upgrade California, a state initiative developed to encourage Californians to conserve energy and natural resources.

Currently, Healthy House offers no-cost group presentations and events serving primarily people with language barriers. This grant would help the organization increase those efforts and face-to-face interaction with people who have little exposure to energy conservation resources and practices.

To schedule a presentation, call Healthy House at (209) 724-0102.

This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 4:41 PM with the headline "PG&E’s energy conservation efforts continue in Merced."