Here in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, we don’t often suffer the extreme weather conditions experienced elsewhere in the United States. However, we do see our share of hot and cold weather, and unlike the rest of the country, our homes typically aren’t built to ward off either. Few homes in the Bay Area have central air conditioning, so when hot weather strikes, there isn’t much we can do but sweat it out.

One reliable way to beat the heat is to invest in home improvement measures that lower heat gain and increase energy efficiency. Some measures are more costly and intensive than others, but all of them can make your home more comfortable during hot weather.  Read more

Read more

While the recent coronavirus pandemic has yet to reach crisis levels in the United States, it nonetheless has had a dramatic impact on daily life for some areas of the country, including the San Francisco Bay Area. From low supplies of products like hand sanitizer and toilet paper to the closure of theme parks and cancellation of live events, all Bay Area residents are feeling the effects of COVID-19, even if few are experiencing its symptoms. Read more

Due to concerns over high wildfire risk, PG&E has scheduled power blackouts throughout much of the Bay Area on Wednesday, October 9. Starting at midnight, the utility company will begin shutting off power to targeted areas in more than 30 counties, including Sonoma, Napa, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara. It’s estimated that up to 800,000 PG&E customers will be affected by the blackouts. Read more

October 17, 2019 marks the 30-year anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. Triggered by a slip along the San Andreas Fault in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the 6.9 temblor was the largest to hit the San Francisco Bay Area since the infamous 1906 quake. While the shaking lasted a mere 15 seconds, it was more than enough time to unleash a volley of catastrophic effects. In the end, the earthquake took 63 lives and caused nearly 4,000 injuries, along with more than $6 billion ($13 billion in today’s money) in damage to infrastructure and property. Read more