PG&E Residential Customers Will Receive State-Mandated Climate Credit Reducing April Bills

Staff Report

Pacific Gas and Electric Company residential customers will receive the California Climate Credit on their bills during the April billing cycle. The credit totals $62.91 for PG&E residential customers receiving both natural gas and electric service. For natural gas-only residential customers the credit will be $27.18, and for electric-only residential customers the credit will be $35.73.

This credit is especially timely given that many residential customers under stay-at-home orders may be using more energy than usual, which could increase their energy bills. The credit is state-mandated in a program overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission. PG&E, like other investor-owned utilities operating in this state, administers the state-mandated credit to customers.

“During the COVID-19 public health crisis, we know that many of our customers may face uncertainty and financial instability due to school and childcare closures, job loss and other economic impacts. We want customers to be aware that the semi-annual California Climate Credit will help reduce their energy costs this month,” said Laurie Giammona, PG&E Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer.

“We also have numerous tips, tools and programs for customers to help lower their energy usage and bills. We encourage customers to evaluate those options and take advantage of them,” said Giammona.

California requires power plants, natural gas providers and other large industries that emit greenhouse gases to buy carbon pollution permits from auctions managed by the California Air Resources Board. The California Climate Credit is customers’ share of the payments from the state’s program. The California Public Utilities Commission oversees the program. The state’s investor-owned utilities and Community Choice Aggregators administer the credits to customers.

Help Managing Energy Usage

In addition to the Climate Credit, PG&E wants its customers to know it offers multiple rate plan options, assistance programs and tools to help manage their energy usage and costs, as many residential customers are spending more time at home during the statewide stay-at-home order and may be using more energy than usual.

Customers can view a personalized rate plan comparison at www.pge.com or by calling PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 to help determine which rate plan is best for their household. Customers can also view their daily energy usage patterns online. This information may help them determine which rate plan is best for them, or help make other behavioral changes in their energy usage to reduce their costs.

If a customer is experiencing financial hardships and has trouble paying their bill due to the economic impact of COVID-19, PG&E can help. The company continues to offer flexible payment plans to support customers during these difficult times. Customers can learn more at www.pge.com/helpmepay.

Moratorium on Service Disconnections

In addition, PG&E has implemented a moratorium on service disconnections for non-payment. This suspension applies to both residential and small business customers and will remain in effect until further notice. PG&E will also suspend Medical Baseline removals. Customers on the Medical Baseline program will not be asked to re-certify through a doctor or other eligible medical professionals for up to one year.

Customers can also take advantage of the following financial-assistance programs.

Save on Monthly Bills

PG&E’s California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program gives almost 1.4 million income-qualified households discounts on their energy bills.

Customers can apply for CARE online at www.pge.com/CARE. Applying is easy and only takes about five minutes. Qualifying customers will begin receiving the CARE program discount within their next billing cycle.

Separate from CARE, income-qualified households with three or more persons can apply for the Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Program for an 18 percent discount on their electric bill.

One-Time Assistance

The federally-funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides financial assistance to help offset eligible household energy costs, including heating, cooling and home weatherization expenses. To learn more, dial 211 for LIHEAP income guidelines and a list of participating agencies.

Receive Energy Support for Medical Conditions

Residential customers requiring electricity-powered medical equipment may qualify for Medical Baseline, which is not based on income. Per month, eligible customers can receive an extra baseline allotment of 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity and/or 25 therms of gas. Certification by a doctor is required.

No disruption in gas or electric service is anticipated due to the public health crisis. For more information, please visit www.pge.com/covid19 to read more about PG&E’s response to the virus.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com and www.pge.com/news.