PG&E Partnering with the State on Implementation of New Program to Help Customers Reduce Past Due Energy Bill Balances Accrued During the Pandemic
September 30 2021 - 12:26PM
Business Wire
Energy Service Disconnections for Non-Payment
Will Continue to Be Paused, Now Through End of 2021
PG&E Automatically Enrolling All
Residential and Small Business Customers with Past Due Balances
Over 60 days in New Extended Payment Arrangements
As part of our ongoing comprehensive efforts to help customers
financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pacific Gas and
Electric Company (PG&E) announced today service disconnections
will not resume this year. The moratorium on energy service
disconnections put in place by the California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC) in March 2020 is formally ending today but
service disconnections will not resume in 2021.
PG&E is automatically enrolling all residential and small
business customers with past due balances over 60 days in new
extended payment arrangements. We are also closely monitoring the
development and implementation of the California Arrearage Payment
Program (CAPP) included in the 2021-22 California State Budget. As
part of the CAPP process, PG&E will not resume disconnections
for residential and commercial customers eligible for CAPP until
the CAPP program is finalized.
“We’ve been partnering with local, state and utility leaders to
ensure our customers in need have access to critical assistance as
the impacts of the pandemic continue to evolve and the statewide
disconnection moratorium ends today. PG&E will not immediately
start shutting off service for nonpayment,” said Marlene Santos,
PG&E executive vice president and chief customer officer.
The newly established CAPP program will offer financial
assistance for California energy utility customers to help reduce
past due energy bill balances accrued during the pandemic.
Administered by the Department of Community Services and
Development (CSD), the CAPP program dedicates $1 billion in federal
American Rescue Plan Act funding to address Californian's energy
debts incurred from March 4, 2020, to June 15, 2021.
Utility customers do not need to apply to receive assistance
under the CAPP program. If a customer’s account is eligible — 60
days or more behind on payments — a credit will be automatically
applied to some or all the customer’s bill, depending on
availability of funds and the combined needs of all utility
customers.
For months, PG&E has been working closely with CSD on
program implementation details. PG&E anticipates CAPP funding
to be applied directly to eligible customers’ accounts in the first
quarter of 2022.
To coincide with the end of the moratorium today, PG&E has
also automatically enrolled more than 450,000 eligible residential
and small business customers in the new COVID-19 payment plan
program this month. The newly established program automatically
enrolls eligible customers who are 60 days past due in extended
payment plans. Customers will be automatically enrolled on an
ongoing basis based on eligibility through September 2022 to avoid
service disconnections. Customers automatically enrolled in the new
extended payment plans will be eligible for CAPP funding.
Ways for Customers to Save on Energy Bills
We encourage customers struggling to pay their bills to learn
more about the following programs. Some customers can enroll in
various programs without impacting eligibility for the extended
payment plan or CAPP funding:
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) offers up to
$1,000 to pay eligible household energy costs.
- Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH)
Program offers one-time financial assistance to qualified customers
with past-due bills.
- Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) offers up to $8,000 in unpaid
balance forgiveness, if a customer is enrolled in the California
Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE) or Family Electric Rate
Assistance (FERA) Program (FERA), owes a specific bill amount and
are more than 90 days past due.
- PG&E’s Medical Baseline Program as well as various external
programs such as the California COVID-19 Rent Relief Act helps
income-eligible households pay rent and utilities, both for past
due and future payments. Renters and landlords are eligible to
apply.
PG&E remains committed to providing support for customers
during this transition, and we are here to help. Customers having a
hard time paying their bills should contact PG&E immediately at
(800) 743-5000 or visit pge.com/covid19. Financial resources for
business customers are available here.
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 pge.com and pge.com/news.
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