California Utilities Increase Assistance

To help customers deal with high summer electricity bills, California’s two largest utilities have expanded their assistance to low-income consumers.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) will provide an additional $10 million to assist low-income customers with their energy bills. The money will go to the Salvation Army, which administers the utility’s REACH (Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help) fuel fund.  PG&E also received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to provide financial relief to all electric customers with a one-time credit based on their electricity bills for the period that includes the July heat storm that hit California from July 16-27.  The Heat Storm Bill Credit will be 15 percent for all residential electric customers, most of whom will receive the credit on their October bill.

Southern California Edison (SCE) will serve customers up to 400 percent of federal poverty guidelines with a one-time grant of up to $150 through its Energy Assistance Fund from September through December.  Also, due to lower natural gas costs and higher electricity sales, SCE has asked regulators to further postpone a previously approved 6 percent residential rate increase until January 2007.  The increase was originally scheduled to take effect August 1; SCE previously proposed and the CPUC approved delaying it until November. 

Source: PG&E, SCE

Page Last Updated: March 26, 2008