Information provided by PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced more than five million electric customers will automatically receive the California Climate Credit on their energy bill this month. In addition to residential customers, eligible business customers will be receiving the California Climate Credit for the first time.
According to the release, this credit was created by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as part of the state’s efforts to fight climate change.
PG&E said residential electric customers will receive a credit of $39.30 on their October bills, compared to last fall’s credit of $17. It added that this is the second credit of the year for residential households because in April, natural gas residential customers received a credit of $47.83 and electric residential customers received a credit of $39.30. Small business electric customers will receive a credit of $39.30. Eligible small business customers might receive double the credit amount if they qualify for both 2022 (April and October) credits. Starting in 2023, eligible business customers will receive the credit twice a year along with residential customers.
The California Climate Credit is one of many programs developed as part of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. It requires power plants, natural gas providers, and other large industries that emit greenhouse gases to buy carbon pollution permits. This credit represents customers’ share of the payments from the state’s program.
PG&E’s said it offers the following programs to help customers save money and energy:
- California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program saves 20% or more each month on energy bills for income-qualified customers.
- Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Program offers a 18% monthly discount on electric bills for income-qualified customers with three or more people in the household.
- Medical Baseline provides a lower monthly rate for customers with special energy needs due to certain medical conditions.
- Budget Billing averages out energy costs for more predictable monthly payments and eliminates big spikes in bills due to seasonal changes.
- Bill Forecast Alerts are notifications sent by email, text or phone notifying the customer if their monthly bill is expected to exceed a specific amount set by the customer.
Smart devices also can help customers manage energy use and costs. This year, new participants in PG&E’s SmartAC program receive $75 for existing thermostats or $120 off a purchase of a new thermostat. The voluntary program helps enhance grid reliability by encouraging participants to shift energy use out of the hours when it’s most in demand.
To learn more about Climate Credit, visit the CPUC’s California Climate Credit page.