Join your peers at the Sacramento Regional Inclusion and Diversity Conference "Building Bridges" scheduled for Thursday, January 26, 2012. The event is sponsored by VSP Global, Anthem Blue Cross, CalPERS, America at Work, Kaiser Permanente, My Sister's House, Wells Fargo, Delta Dental, Microsoft and the City of Elk Grove. The conference provides businesses the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from Northern California inclusion leaders and innovators. Keynote speaker, Dr. Steve L. Robbins, is a powerful communicator, insightful facilitator and inspiring motivator who can simultaneously challenge and encourage people with a dynamic use of story-telling, humor and extensive knowledge

Sacramento Municipal Utility District offices will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2011 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. The following regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, September 6: Residential customer phone service 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 1-888-742-SMUD (7683) Commercial customer phone service 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1-877-622-SMUD (7683) Customer lobby service 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Customer Service Center, 6301 S St., Sacramento Business offices 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. SMUD's 24-hour electric outage number, 1-888-456-SMUD (7683) will continue operating throughout the holiday. If power goes out, customers should notify SMUD immediately. In the event of an electrical problem, customers

SMUD received an electrifying down payment of sorts with the delivery this week of 11 plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) pickup trucks. Three more will be arriving later as part of a $97 million Chrysler demonstration project in select markets. “We were a logical partner for Chrysler because we’ve been testing alternative fuel vehicles for more than 20 years in an effort to improve the Sacramento region’s air quality,” said SMUD General Manager John DiStasio. “Environmental leadership is one of the SMUD’s core values.” Chrysler manufactured 140 of the Ram hybrid trucks under a U.S. Department of Energy stimulus grant that was awarded in the fall of 2009. “These vehicles were still in the co

Anne Dunlap-Kahren’s old refrigerator was in her kitchen for 13 years. She bought a new one and relegated the old one to a place where a lot of old refrigerators go, the garage. The problem is these older refrigerators use more household energy than anything else in the home. They use as much as three times the energy of newer models, and can cost up to an additional $125 per year to run. When Anne heard about SMUD’s Refrigerator Recycling program, she called to make an appointment. Within a few days, JACO Environmental, a SMUD recycling contractor, was at her door to pick up the old one and give her a $35 check for it. By recycling, Anne is saving money, energy and the environment. “Fo

Discounts available at SMUD’s Rancho Seco Recreational Area Getting away from it all doesn’t have to mean going far. Enjoy the last lazy days of summer at SMUD’s Rancho Seco Recreational Area – a complete vacation destination that’s just 25 miles from downtown Sacramento. And for a limited time, the longer you stay, the bigger the discount. Now through October 31, 2011, tent and RV campers staying three nights will get the fourth night free. The park includes a 160-acre stocked lake (including Florida-strain largemouth bass), a variety of day-use and camping sites, a 7-mile nature trail and a general store. Windsurfing, fishing, horseshoes and bird watching are favorite activities at the

Summer’s hot temperatures are here! With a little planning, you can keep your home cool and save money on summer energy bills. The easiest way to keep your home cool is not to let it heat up in the first place. Hot Weather Tips Good insulation, caulking and weather stripping help keep the heat outside. Shade trees, overhangs, awnings and shades and limiting the use of household appliances that emit heat also help keep it cool. Keep windows closed during the heat of the day, and draw blinds and draperies during the day to keep the heat out. Set the thermostat at 78 degrees or higher in the summer. There is about a 5 to 10 percent savings on the operating cost of an air conditioner for e

Hundreds of Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) residential and commercial customers will soon be able to take advantage of generous rebates to help pay for comprehensive energy efficiency retrofits thanks to a federal grant. Using stimulus funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), the Neighborhood Performance program provides rebates to single-family and multifamily residential customers and small and large commercial customers in the downtown and midtown areas of Sacramento and the Rosemont area in Sacramento County. Those areas were chosen based on customer profile and peak energy usage. SMUD received about $2.8 million in the grant, which was awarded to Los

A 1950s ranch home on Marconi Avenue had some distinguished visitors Friday morning, thanks to SMUD’s Home Performance Program (HPP). Congresswoman Doris Matsui joined representatives from SMUD and the news media to tour the home, now being retrofitted to be energy-stingy as part of SMUD’s HPP. With Matsui’s help, SMUD received a $20 million federal grant last year for HPP to help customers reduce their energy bills and improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The funds were made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant. Matsui said the grant will create more than 750 local jobs. HPP uses an innovative whole-house approach (based on the Environmental Protection

SMUD offers kite flying safety tips: When flying a kite, the sky’s the limit but remember to fly with caution. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) offers these simple safety tips to help make kite flying a safe experience. Build or buy kites made of wood or plastic. Only use cloth for the tail. Fly kites in wide, open areas, away from power lines. Only use cotton, linen or nylon string. Never use metallic thread, wire or wire reinforced string as they can cause a fire, serious injury or death if they come in contact with energized electrical equipment. Only fly kites in dry weather. When kite string gets wet it becomes a stronger conductor of electricity. If a kite gets

Sacramento Municipal Utility District offices will be closed on Monday, February 21, 2011 in observance of the Presidents’ Day holiday. The following regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, February 22: Residential customer phone service 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 1-888-742-SMUD (7683) Commercial customer phone service 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1-877-622-SMUD (7683) Customer lobby service 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Customer Service Centerm 6301 S St., Sacramento Business offices 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. SMUD’s 24-hour electric outage number, 1-888-456-SMUD (7683) will continue operating throughout the holiday. If power goes out, customers should notify SMUD immediately. In the event of an electrical problem, cu

Sacramento Municipal Utility District offices will be closed on Monday, January 17, 2011 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. The following regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, January 18: Residential customer phone service 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 1 -888-742-SMUD (7683) Commercial customer phone service 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1-877-622-SMUD (7683) Customer lobby service 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Customer Service Center 6301 S St., Sacramento Business offices 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. SMUD’s 24-hour electric outage number, 1-888-456-SMUD (7683) will continue operating throughout the holiday. If power goes out, customers should notify SMUD immediately. In the event of an electrical proble

Give your Christmas tree the proper holiday send-off. Rather than toss it in the trash, recycle it. You’ll be doing our local landfills a big favor. Bring your Christmas tree to the SMUD Corporation Yard at 6100 Folsom Boulevard on Jan. 8 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. SMUD staff will mulch it for free. Please remove all tinsel, lights, tree stands and nails. Flocked trees will be accepted at all locations. There is a limit of five trees per vehicle. Christmas trees may also be recycled for free at the following sites and dates: In Sacramento Elder Creek Recovery and Transfer 8642 Elder Creek Road (Jackson Highway, south on Florin Perkins Road, left on Elder Creek Road) 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District offices will close at 2 p.m. on Thursday, December 23, 2010 and be closed all day on Friday, December 24, 2010 in observance of Christmas. The following regular business hours will resume on Monday, December 27: Residential customer phone service 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 1-888-742-SMUD (7683) Commercial customer phone service 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1-877-622-SMUD (7683) Customer lobby service 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Customer Service Center 6301 S St., Sacramento Business offices 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. SMUD will also be closed on Friday, December 31, 2010 in observance of the New Year’s holiday. SMUD’s 24-hour electric outage number, 1-888-456-SMUD (7683) will continue o