MENDOCINO Co., 4/8/20 — Many people are struggling to pay their bills right now due to business closures or work reductions due to the pandemic. Yet, staying home more may also mean an increase in their electrical bills. If you need assistance and are a PG&E customer, the company is offering a number of payment programs, low-income and medical rate reductions, and has a current moratorium on shut-offs due to non-payment during the pandemic.
According to PG&E, “There are approximately 10,300 customers in Mendocino County who are currently enrolled in the program and there are an estimated 3,500 customers in the county who quality for the program and have not yet enrolled.”
So if that’s you, here’s all the details about the available options, below.
The company is also going to add the “Climate Credit” rebate for customers, which is mandated to be provided semi-annually by the state. During the April billing cycle, PG&E customer will receive: $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.
Here is a press release with more details:
UKIAH, Calif.— Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) offers additional support for customers experiencing hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is implementing a series of billing and service modifications effective immediately to ensure the lights stay on and the gas continues to flow for customers experiencing financial challenges during this time.
New Billing and Service Modifications for Impacted Customers
- Suspend service disconnections for non-payment and waive new service deposit requirements for residential and small business;
- Implement flexible payment plan options; and
- Provide additional support for low-income and medical baseline customers.
As a reminder, PG&E has never charged late fees.
If a customer is experiencing financial hardships and has trouble paying their bill due to the economic impact of COVID-19, we can help. Please call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000. We continue to offer flexible payment plans to support customers during these difficult times.
“PG&E knows this is an unsettling and trying time and we want to reassure our customers they are not alone. PG&E is taking swift action to ensure that our customers experiencing hardship as a result of COVID-19 have access to a variety of resources and expanded programs to help manage their energy use and their monthly bills”, said Laurie Giammona, PG&E’s Chief Customer Officer and a Senior Vice President.
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.
Yet, PG&E estimates 65,580 eligible customers are missing out on the 20 percent or more savings on their monthly electric and gas bills.There are approximately 10,300 customers in Mendocino County who are currently enrolled in the program and there are an estimated 3,500 customers in the county who quality for the program and have not yet enrolled.
Customers can apply for CARE online at 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% 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/covid19to read more about PG&E’s response to the virus.
