Go electric!
By now, you know the importance to a livable climate of getting off of fossil fuels as much as we can, as fast as we can. You want to do your part and switch to the growing variety of electric alternatives.
But perhaps you’re not sure whether those alternatives will work for you, or you don’t want to plunk down a bunch of money on a maybe. Or you’re ready to make the leap to an electric car, but the price is still too high to fit your budget.
The State of California, the City, and PG&E are offering rebates and other programs to help bring down the barriers to entry so you can electrify your life.
Rebates on EVs, hybrids, e-bikes, and more
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (AQMD) has a program called Clean Cars for All that offers substantial rebates toward the purchase of a new hybrid, electric, or hydrogen fuel-cell car, car charging equipment, or one or more electric bicycles.
The program is available to Bay Area residents within certain income brackets, and you must surrender your existing pre-2008 car to be scrapped. Verify your eligibility and read more on the Clean Cars for All webpage.
PG&E rebates on used EVs and on EV charging equipment
PG&E electric customers who buy a used electric car can apply for a rebate for $1,000 (or $4,000 for income-qualifying applicants) under the PG&E Pre-Owned EV Rebate program.
The utility also has a separate program for income-qualifying electric customers that offers up to $700 toward the purchase of electric-car charging equipment.
Try out induction cooking
Are you tired of exposing your family to the health risks of cooking with methane, but uninterested in electric-coil cooktops? It might be time to check out induction cooking, a relatively new method that heats the pan itself rather than having a separate heat source.
PG&E has an induction cooktop loaner program that will lend you a portable induction hob for up to two weeks. Try it out, notice the differences between methane and induction cooking, and decide whether induction is the right alternative for you.
Note that induction cooktops only work with certain cookware. If you can stick a magnet to the bottom of your pots and pans, they’ll work.
Not available but we hope it comes back: Rebates on e-bikes
There was a program called Electrify My Ride, which expired in April, that provided certain San Francisco residents, qualified based on residency and participation in certain low-income electricity discount programs, a rebate for up to $1,000 off the purchase of a new electric bicycle.
Although it’s not available now, we hope it’ll be revived in some form—though it may not be soon because of the City’s budget crunch.