PG&E Offers Customers Many Ways to Manage
Energy Use, Bills
CPUC-approved Rate Changes Take Effect
January 1, 2024
OAKLAND,
Calif., Nov. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas
and Electric Company (PG&E) energy rates will change on
January 1, 2024, to pay for continued
critical safety investments for its customers and hometowns. The
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today approved
PG&E's 2023-2026 General Rate Case (GRC). More than 85% of
PG&E's proposed increase, originally submitted in June 2021, was to reduce risk in PG&E's gas
and electric operations.
As part of the GRC, the CPUC approved placing 1,230 miles of
powerlines underground in PG&E's highest fire-risk areas.
Undergrounding is permanent risk reduction that eliminates nearly
98% of risk of wildfire ignition from electrical equipment,
increases electric reliability by reducing the need for
safety-related power shutoffs, and saves customers billions of
dollars in reduced annual tree trimming and overhead line
maintenance costs.
"We are committed to being the safe operator that the people of
California expect and deserve. We
appreciate the Commission for recognizing the important safety and
reliability investments we are making on behalf of our customers,
including undergrounding powerlines to permanently reduce wildfire
risk. Undergrounding is the best tool in the highest fire-risk
areas to protect our customers and hometowns and improve
reliability year-round at the lowest cost to our customers," said
PG&E Corporation CEO Patti
Poppe.
The GRC funds these key safety and reliability investments for
the benefit of customers:
- Undergrounding 1,230 miles of powerlines in PG&E's
highest fire-risk areas. In addition to being the safest, most
reliable, and cost-effective solution, undergrounding benefits all
customers through improved air and water quality from fewer fires,
protecting wildlands, and improving access to homeowners' insurance
at lower premiums, over the long run. It is one of PG&E's
multiple layers of protection that have reduced wildfire risk from
company equipment by 94%1.
- Replacing 139 miles and 24 miles of plastic and steel
distribution pipeline respectively; inspecting 343
miles of transmission pipeline with state-of-the-art tools that
run inside the pipeline; strength-testing 43 miles of gas
transmission pipeline to assess integrity and reconfirm the
maximum allowable operating pressure; employing advanced mobile
leak detection technology to quickly find and fix gas leaks to
improve safety and reduce methane emissions.
- Increasing electric capacity to support the state's
transportation electrification, affordable housing and economic
development goals. Additional electric system investments include
grid work to support widespread adoption of electric vehicles to
reduce climate change impacts and improve air quality; exploring
technologies to use electric vehicles and other energy storage; and
microgrid advancements to help improve grid resiliency during
extreme weather and peak-energy demand periods.
Ways PG&E Helps Customers Manage Energy Use and
Costs
PG&E offers no- and low-cost actions to help
customers reduce energy use and better manage monthly energy bills,
and financial assistance programs for income-eligible
customers.
- Check your rate plan – get a personalized Rate Plan Comparison
to find the best rate plan for your personal energy use.
- Take a free Home Energy Checkup to identify wasted energy
sources and get a personalized savings plan to lower monthly bills
in just five minutes.
- Enroll in Budget Billing to spread out annual energy costs
throughout the year to avoid peaks in months of higher use.
- Receive Bill Forecast Alerts when your bill is projected to
exceed an amount set by you so you can reduce energy use prior to
your next bill.
- Customers may qualify for bill assistance
including:
- California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) provides a monthly
discount of 20% or more on gas and electricity.
- Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) provides a monthly
discount of 18% on electricity only. Must be a household of three
or more people.
- Arrearage Management Program is a debt forgiveness plan for
eligible residential customers who may have experienced
pandemic-related hardship.
Customer Bill Impacts
Customer bills may vary based on where they live, energy usage,
rate plan, program enrollment, weather in their region, and other
factors.
The GRC will increase typical residential non-CARE monthly
combined gas and electric bills by an average of 3.6% over three
years. It will increase monthly bills by approximately 12.8% in
2024, and have a net decrease in the following years, 2025 and
2026. For example, the typical bill will increase by approximately
$32.50 in 2024, $4.50 in 2025, and decrease by almost
$8.00 in 2026.
For the typical residential CARE customer, the monthly combined
bill would increase by an average of 3.8% over three years. Typical
bills will increase by about $21.50
in 2024, $3 in 2025, and decrease by
about $5.50 in 2026.
Non-CARE
|
2024
|
2025
|
2026
|
Annual
average
|
Annual incremental
change
|
$32.50
|
$4.50
|
$(8)
|
|
% Annual
Change
|
12.8 %
|
1.6 %
|
-2.8 %
|
3.6 %
|
CARE
|
|
|
|
|
Annual incremental
change
|
$21.50
|
$3
|
$(5.50)
|
|
% Annual
Change
|
13.1 %
|
1.6 %
|
-2.8 %
|
3.8 %
|
In addition to the GRC, PG&E will implement additional rate
changes as part of an annual process called the "true-up" which
consolidates rate changes authorized by the CPUC. These amounts
will be final at the end of December.
Rates take effect January 1, 2024,
however, customers may not see the change in their bill until
February depending on their billing cycle.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric
utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square
miles in Northern and Central
California. For more information, visit
www.pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.
1 Based on the methodology established by the CPUC in
the Safety Model Assessment Proceeding and implemented by PG&E,
accordingly.
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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company