Summer isn’t the only time of year when energy bills can spin out of control. While Bakersfield’s summer heat does cause the majority of peaks in household bills, the cold winters also cause a spike in charges – especially if you use gas rather than electricity to heat your home.

To help Bakersfield residents get assistance with their bills and keep their energy usage down, the California Public Utilities Commission and Pacific Gas & Electric Company are holding a joint workshop from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools building, 1300 17^th Street. It’s part of a series of workshops they are holding throughout the state.

“For people all over California, this has really been a tough year economically and we know people are having problems paying their energy bills,” said Susan Carothers, a public information officer for CPUC based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

She and other representatives will be on hand Friday evening to answer questions and sign people up for the many programs administered through power provider PG&E.

Some of the programs include:

CARE and FERA: California Alternate Rates for Energy and Family Electric Rate Assistance are both income-qualified programs that provide monthly discounts on energy bills.

REACH: Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help assists people who are unable to pay their energy bills, by way of the Salvation Army.

Energy Partners Program: Provides low-income homes with weatherization and energy efficient appliances.

Balanced Payment Plan: Averages out customers’ bills so they pay a more even monthly payment rather than being hit by huge bills during peak summer and winter months.

Rebates: PG&E offers a variety of rebates on energy-efficient appliances, heating and cooling systems, pool pumps and motors, lighting, and home improvements such as insulation and recycling old appliances.

Tax credits: Home improvements made for energy efficiency by Dec. 31, 2010, may be eligible for up to $1,500 in federal tax credits. These projects include insulation, windows, heating and cooling systems and water heaters.

California Solar Initiative: PG&E offers incentives for installing solar panels for homes.

Winter Gas Savings: Customers who reduce their gas usage in January and February of 2010 will receive a bill credit in the spring. No enrollment is necessary.

Denny Boyles, media relations representative for PG&E in Bakersfield, recommends customers of all income levels attend the workshop, even if they don’t qualify for the low-income programs. The many rebates and tax credits for home improvements can help higher-income households save energy, and thus lower their bills as well.

Additionally, Boyles recommends customers not wait until the last minute to get assistance.

“A lot of customers won’t reach out to us until they receive a shut-off notice,” he said. “But the minute you get a (high) bill, you should contact us. Then we can help, like by spreading out the payments.”

Carothers suggests PG&E customers bring their bills with them to the workshop so that representatives have an idea of their energy usage and can help point them in the direction of specific programs.

“This will be very consumer focused,” she said. “We will have lots of helpful tips so people can save energy and money.”

For more information about the California Public Utilities Commission, visit www.cpuc.ca.gov/puc.