California residents could see up to $175 off utility bills this month. Who qualifies?

Angela Rodriguez
·2 min read
33

Millions of California residents will see an approximate $30 to $175 credit on their April electric and natural gas bills, according to the California Public Utilities Commission.

As part of California’s Cap-and-Trade Program, the California Climate Credit is designed to reward most customers of electric investor-owned utilities and provide support to those experiencing high natural gas and electric bills during the winter.

Most residents receive these credits every spring and fall.

Here’s which California utility customers qualify:

How can you receive the climate credit?

Qualifying electric customers will receive a credit twice this year. Another electric credit will be dispersed in October.

Eligible customers will receive both the electric and natural gas credit reflected on this month’s utility bills. The natural gas credit will not be dispersed again in the fall.

If your household is eligible, there is no action necessary to receive the credit.

“Billing periods vary by utility and may not always coincide with a calendar month,” an FAQ by the California Public Utilities Commission said.

If you don’t see a credit this month, it should appear on your following utility bill, the FAQ said.

Contact your utility provider if it does not appear.

“It doesn’t matter how much energy a customer consumes or the amount of their bill,” the commission wrote in an October new release about the credit. “If the credit is larger than the bill, the remaining balance will roll forward until the California Climate Credit is used up.”

What electric customers qualify — and how much credit can they receive?

According to the commission’s 2024 sschedule, these California electric customers are eligible to receive the following amount in credit:

  • Pacific Gas and Electric - $55.17

  • Southern California Edison - $86

  • San Diego Gas and Electric - $78.22

  • Bear Valley Electric Service - $32.24

  • Liberty Utilities - $131.01

  • Pacific Power - $174.25

It does not include Sacramento Municipal Utilities District, or SMUD, which covers most of Sacramento County.

How much credit will eligible gas customers receive?

Most California natural gas customers are eligible to receive the following amount in credit this year:

  • PG&E - $85.46

  • San Diego Gas and Electric - $58.98

  • Southwest Gas Corporation - $75.19

  • Southern California Gas Company - $73.41

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