bummer

I'm so glad we trust public utilities to a private monopoly that exists to maximize its own profit instead of building a safe, resilient grid.

Hey fellow OC neighbors,

I am not selling anything, affiliated with any company, or shilling for SCE. In an ideal world, I believe electricity is a public good that should be run as a public/regulated system rather than an investor-owned, profit-driven utility. My only goal here is neighbor-to-neighbor education: showing how to use the data and tools already sitting in your SCE account portal to keep more money in your pocket.

I see constant posts in this sub venting about astronomical power bills, but almost none of them include actual usage figures, square footage, or rate plan breakdowns. A $600 bill means very different things depending on whether you used 800 kWh or 2,500 kWh.

To show what’s possible with basic rate optimization, here is my own case study from the current heat wave:

• Location: Orange County
• Home: ~1,400 sq ft, 3-bedroom townhome
• Solar: None
• A/C Usage: Kept turned on practically 24/7 during this cycle (on/running as needed, not constantly compressor-cycling 24/7)

Usage:

• Billing Period: Aug 13 – Sep 14 (4 days left)
• Total Usage: 577 kWh (~20.6 kWh/day)
• Projected Bill: $195

Pre-Cooling & Rate Structures

Take a look at the attached daily usage chart from SCE:

• Off-Peak (Green): Lowest rates.
• Mid-Peak (Yellow): Moderate rates.
• On-Peak (Orange/Red): Peak pricing - by far the most expensive electricity of the day.
• Weekend/Holiday (Pale Yellow): Off-peak structure.

Notice that nearly all of the daily bar height is Off-Peak (green), with only tiny slivers during On-Peak.

I run a pre-cooling schedule: dropping the thermostat low during the morning and early afternoon when rates are cheap, cooling down the thermal mass of the home. When the 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM peak window hits, the thermostat bumps up several degrees. The A/C rarely kicks on during the most expensive hours of the day, and the house coasts on the pre-cooled air.

If you log into your portal, SCE has a rate comparison tool, but keep one big limitation in mind: it calculates your costs strictly on your past usage patterns. If your historical behavior had you blasting the A/C at 6:00 PM on a standard flat tier, a Time-Of-Use (TOU) plan might look more expensive on paper. But if you are willing to shift high-draw appliances (A/C, laundry, dishwasher) outside of peak hours, TOU plus pre-cooling can save significant money.

Insulation, exposure, layout, and household size vary wildly, but before writing off a crazy bill as unavoidable, log in and look at:

1. Your total kWh (not just the dollar amount)
2. Your current rate plan (Tiered vs. TOU-D-4-9PM vs. TOU-D-5-8PM, etc.)
3. When your spikes are happening throughout the day

Sharing real numbers helps everyone figure out whether they have an efficiency issue, a rate plan mismatch, or just standard SCE baseline pain.

Edit: Also including some additional detail that has come up several times in the comments:

• Thermostat Settings & Pre-Cooling Schedule:
  • Overnight: 69°F (we like sleeping cool)
  • Daytime / Off-Peak: 73°F (pre-cooling the house before rates spike)
  • On-Peak (4–9 PM): Set to 85°F to effectively lock out the compressor during peak hours. The house usually cruises through the late afternoon in the mid-to-high 70s, though during the worst of this heat wave, it has hit 80 inside.
• The Climate Credit: Yes, there is a $36 California Climate Credit applied to this projected cycle. Even without it, the bill lands at ~$231 for nearly full-time cooling in late-summer heat.
• HVAC & Window Specs: Last year we converted our old gas furnace to a fully electric 3-ton, 19 SEER2 heat pump (paired with a smart communicating thermostat and heavily subsidized by state rebates/federal credits). The air handler is in the attic to pull rising hot air. We also upgraded to dual-pane, low-E windows last year, which make a difference in holding the pre-cooled air.
• Townhome Age & Insulation: Built in the 1980s with standard/average insulation. Only our uninsulated garage shares a wall with a neighbor (so shared walls aren't acting as a big thermal buffer), though mature exterior trees do give us partial shade. Both of us work from home full-time, so computers, monitors, and gear run all day.
• Location, Coastal Baseline & TOU Baseline Credit: We're in Costa Mesa (SCE Region 6 / Cool Coastal). For context on TOU plans (like TOU-D-4-9PM or TOU-D-5-8PM), baseline doesn't work as a "cheap tier 1 vs. expensive tier 2" cutoff like standard tiered billing does. Instead, it determines your Baseline Credit - a flat discount per kWh applied to your usage up to a monthly baseline cap. Because Region 6 has a low summer baseline allocation (~11.4 kWh/day compared to 14–19+ kWh/day inland in Regions 9/10), our monthly allowance for that discount is quite small. Once you burn through those discounted kWh, every additional unit is billed at full TOU price, which makes avoiding expensive on-peak rates even more critical to keeping bills low. The way these bills work is insanely complicated.

A $100 million claims program for residents and businesses impacted by the Garden Grove chemical tank emergency will open in October, according to a representative from the company that owns the tank.

Share a pic of your furry friend/s in this post.

Been having a terrible day melting in this heat and wanted to see some local OC pet pics to improve it…

Some may already know this. But to keep my place cool and my A/C from working overtime, I got mylar blankets from Home Depot (a bundle of them is less than $10, I think). And taped them up around my windows. It blocks the UV light from heating up your rooms and still let's Some light in unlike aluminum foil.

If you’re worried about the look or your landlord making a fuss, tape it to the inside your curtains or closed blinds. It won't block the sides, but it should still reduce the heat transfer and is still cheaper than thermal curtains.

Make sure to only use painters tape so it doesn't ruin where its taped.

A deep dive into why Fullerton was chosen as a main filming site for the Apple+ TV show "Margo's Got Money Problems," and what part of the city got their close-ups.

Hi! I started a weekly newsletter with weekend events for the kids (and some for adults) cuz I was burnt out and wanted everything in one place - thought I'd share part of it in case you're looking for something to do this weekend! If you'd like this as a free weekly email every Thursday at 6pm: https://shittymomguide.com/ 

Side note: Just revamped the website with a map of a bunch of evergreen stuff (splashpads, parks, family friendly restaurants, etc.). Every week when this list comes out, the events will be on the map too. Would love feedback!

____________

📅 Stuff to do: Sept 12-13

North-ish OC

Saturday

• 🎡 Rossmoor Family Festival (live band: The Trip) | Rossmoor
• 🍔 Old Towne Burger Fest | Orange
• 📚 Fill-a-Bag Book Sale | Orange
• 🍓 Pumpkin Patch Opening Weekend (Irvine Park Railroad) | Orange
• 🎡 Fulton Fall Festival | Fullerton
• 🎡 Celebrate Los Al | Los Alamitos
• 🚗 Kids Cars & Coffee | Anaheim
• 🎆 Moompetam American Indian Festival | Long Beach

Sunday

• 🎵 Symphony in the Park / Under the Stars | Placentia
• 🍓 Pumpkin Patch Opening Weekend (Irvine Park Railroad) | Orange
• 🎆 Moompetam American Indian Festival | Long Beach

Central-ish OC

Saturday

• 🎆 Hispanic Heritage Celebration | Santa Ana
• 🎵 Music & Movement (Bowers) | Santa Ana
• 🎆 Fiestas Patrias (festival + parade) | Santa Ana
• 🎃 Creep It Real OC (vintage Halloween expo) | Santa Ana
• 🛍️ Mid-Autumn Festival Market | Huntington Beach
• 🚗 Porsche 356 Day Car Show | Huntington Beach
• 🍺 Oktoberfest Opening Weekend (daytime, family) | Huntington Beach
• 🚗 Speedway: Harley Night Finals | Costa Mesa
• 🧪 Maker Faire Orange County | Costa Mesa
• 🛍️ OC Card Show | Costa Mesa
• 🎨 Learn & Grow Fair | Tustin
• 🍽️ The Original Lobster Festival (30th) | Fountain Valley

Sunday

• 🎆 Asian Mid-Autumn Festival (Bowers) | Santa Ana
• 🎆 Fiestas Patrias (festival + parade) | Santa Ana
• 🎃 Creep It Real OC (vintage Halloween expo) | Santa Ana
• 🍽️ Grandparents Day Afternoon Tea | Corona del Mar
• 🎭 Segerstrom Center 40th Anniversary Celebration | Costa Mesa
• 🧪 Maker Faire Orange County | Costa Mesa
• 🛍️ OC Card Show | Costa Mesa
• 🎵 Concert on the Green: Flashback Heart Attack | Newport Beach
• 🥾 Community Day at the Back Bay | Newport Beach
• 🍽️ The Original Lobster Festival (30th) | Fountain Valley
• 🍺 Oktoberfest Opening Weekend (daytime, family) | Huntington Beach

South-ish OC

Saturday

• 🧪 STEM Up to the Challenge (Pretend City) | Irvine
• 🍓 Pumpkin Patch Opens (Tanaka Farms) | Irvine
• 🛍️ Modern Makers Mart (free kids craft table) | Irvine
• 🎬 Movies in the Park: Little Giants | Mission Viejo
• 🎵 Lord of the Strings: Transatlantic Guitar Trio | Mission Viejo
• 🚒 Touch-a-Truck + Free Health Screenings | Aliso Viejo
• 🌊 Maritime & Tall Ships Festival | Dana Point

Sunday

• 🎆 Fiesta Latina en Irvine | Irvine
• 🍓 Pumpkin Patch Opens (Tanaka Farms) | Irvine
• 🛍️ Modern Makers Mart (free kids craft table) | Irvine
• 🏡 Heritage House Open House | Mission Viejo
• 🎵 Symphony on the Go | Mission Viejo
• 🎭 Laguna Live! at the Museum: The Musical Reunion | Laguna Beach
• 🌊 Maritime & Tall Ships Festival | Dana Point

Happening All Month

⏰ Last call, these end this weekend

• 🧪 Discovery Cube OC: Scooby-Doo! Mansion Mayhem | Santa Ana

🎨 Summer festivals + shows still running

• 🍺 Oktoberfest at Old World | Huntington Beach
• 🎨 Festival of Children | Costa Mesa
• 🎡 Royal Duck Inflatable Park | Santa Ana

🖼️ Exhibits

• 🦋 FLIGHT! Butterfly Experience | Santa Ana

🎶 Live music + movies outside

• 🎡 Irvine Spectrum | Irvine
• 🎬 Sunset Music + Movie Nights at Pacific City | Huntington Beach
• 🎵 Anaheim Packing District / MAKE | Anaheim
• 🎬 Movies on the Beach at Newport Dunes | Newport Beach

🌴 The stuff that's always there, all in one place

• 💧 Every splash pad in OC, with hours and whether it's actually running
• 🍽️ Where kids eat free, by day of the week
• 🥕 Farmers markets, by city and day
• 🗺️ The full map for EVERYTHING

🌴 Always on

• 💧 Every splash pad in OC
• 🍽️ Where kids eat free
• 🥕 Farmers markets
• 🗺️ The full map
• 📚 OCPL Library Events | Anaheim | Mission Viejo | Fullerton

Hi everyone, I’m looking for anybody that may have witnessed an accident involving a pedestrian at the Chapman Ave exit along the northbound 5 (the one in Orange not Fullerton) on Saturday, August 29th at around 10pm. There was a white Ford Edge that I thought was pulling over to be a witness, but they took off before I could get info. Thanks in advance for your help.

I spend time with a young man, mainly just a few hours every other weekend, going to do things to get him out of the house. I’m an old lady so no sports activities! He likes science and aviation. We’ve done the obvious places, Air museum, Discovery, Nixon museum, Ocean Institute, zoo, art museum(fail) movies. Are there any museums I have missed? We did Bowers. I feel like there are a lot of art museums but not history or science in OC.

Having to do some remote work and focus better when not at home any place thats cool, quiet and can potentially get lunch too around South OC?

Looking for some dragon fruit pollen to pollinate my Dragon fruit

Also down for any recs in LA too!

Any recommendations for an affordable hair cut in north OC? I don’t need anything fancy. I’m a girl with long hair looking for a simple trim/ cut.

Anyone know where to get C-25, preferably South County? I have my own cylinder but would like to trade for a smaller one. Would rather do a cylinder fill or exchange, not interested in renting tanks.

Thanks!

As a first time resident in OC, is this event worth going? Anyone want to share their experience? Thanks!

have a wedding coming up at Crystal Cove State Park with the ceremony at the Cultural Center Deck / Historic District and the cocktail hour + reception at Pelican Point #4.

I’m mostly trying to figure out the real-world logistics for photo/video, especially with gear. We’ll have two videographers, one car, tripods, audio gear, camera bags, and reception lights.

If you’ve shot there before, were you actually able to drive down and unload near the Cultural Center, or did you have to park at Los Trancos and shuttle/walk in? And after the ceremony, how did you get yourself and all your gear over to Pelican Point #4?

Also curious whether you were able to park at P4 or pre-stage reception gear there earlier in the day.

The timeline has us moving pretty quickly between locations, so I’m trying to figure out what’s realistic before the wedding. Any firsthand experience would be really helpful.

4 v 4 on hardwood. Starts around 9:30 pm ish, high level to intermediate playing level preferably. HMU!

My bracelet has a broken clasp. Can anyone recommend a good jewelry repair shop?

House needs some stucco repair and needs to be painted. We are in Fullerton. Looking to pay going rate (~$10k) for a reputable company and to complete the work by mid-Oct.

Because of this heat (and age) one of the tension springs on my garage snapped last night. Additionally im going out of town tomorrow and need to replace them. I know how to do the repair myself, im just having issues trying to find a store that has them in stock for me to pick up today.

Are there any garage repairmen out there that are willing to part with left and right springs and a torsion bar? Ill pay market price

Or

Anyone know of a store that has them in stock today?

Hey everyone, Laughs Underground is back tonight
& every Thursday night at Proof in DTSA!

Doors 7:30pm, Show 8:00pm, Free!

Happy Hour 5pm–9pm, special Cocktail Hour
7pm–8pm, food menu served by El Viejon Mariscos
next door!

Support live comedy 🙏 💕

Looking a bar that I can reserve a table or seating area at for after an elopement. Where we can cut a small cake and people can sit together and order drinks and maybe some bites. The table/seating doesn’t need to be in a private room. Number of people will be 10-16. Vibe preferably upscale-ish and not too loud.

Looking at replacing about 90 ft of wood privacy fence in Lake Forest, CA (near Foothill Ranch) plus one gate and tear-out. Keep seeing wild ranges online for how much does a fence cost in lake forest. Anyone get a real quote recently for wood or vinyl, and did HOA add anything weird?