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Advanced Pumping Efficiency Program

How to Get a Test

Important! As a result of changes in PG&E's tariffs, a pump test can result in a full month's demand charges on your PG&E bill. Please check with your PG&E Account Representative to fully understand your current rate schedule.

Follow these simple steps to obtain a pump efficiency test

  1. Contact one of the participating pump test companies.
  2. Arrange for the time of test - note that the pump will have to be running for the test. You will have to sign a Site Access Agreement before the test and the Record of Test form after, for a single pump efficiency test and for multiple pump efficiency tests. This certifies that the test company had a legal right to access the pump and that the test was completed and the results given to you.
  3. The subsidy will be paid directly to the pump test company and they will take care of all paperwork.

IMPORTANT! There are important rules concerning tests that the Program will subsidize. If the test cannot pass all of these rules the Program will not provide a subsidy and you may have to pay the full cost of the test. Discuss this situation with your chosen test company before committing to the test. These rules include:

  1. The pump test must be for the purpose of determining current overall pumping efficiency (OPE).
  2. Only one subsidized test is allowed per pump in a 23 month period.
  3. Subsidized pump tests are not available for any purpose related to:
    • A real estate transaction (e.g., determine flow, pumping water level, water quality).
    • Satisfaction of a mandate of any federal, state, or local government or quasi-political agency (participants in PG&E's AG-ICE program are specifically eligible for all parts of APEP).
  4. Subsidized pump tests are not available for the following conditions:
    • A pump which is in the APEP database already was previously tested at 30% OPE or less for electric pumps, 20% OPE or less for a submersible pump, and 6% OPE or less for a natural gas-powered pump, unless that pump was retrofitted in the interim.
    • Water wells or any other pump where the true total dynamic head cannot be determined. APEP requires that a subsidized pump test be able to calculate OPE.
    • Any pump powered by less than 40 horsepower as listed on the motor/engine nameplate.