PG&E utility bills about to soar again in Central California. Here are the reasons why

Bryant-Jon Anteola
·2 min read

Just a couple of months after many central San Joaquin Valley residents’ electricity and gas bill sharply increased, their utilities will soon cost even more.

The California Public Utilities Commission voted last week to approve another bill hike for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers, adding about an additional $5 a month to their household bill.

PG&E already raised electricity rates approximately 13% at the start of 2024 to recover the company’s costs for upgrading infrastructure, including wildlife prevention and modernization projects.

PG&E estimated the new increase will be about an additional $3.65 for electric and $1.03 for gas, and will start in April. The latest increases are to help PG&E recoup monies spent on wildfire mitigation.

All together, customers who had an average residential bill of $254 in 2023 can now expect to pay an additional $37.19 per month compared to a year ago. So customers could be looking at a new monthly bill of about $292.

Annually, these rate increases are expected to cost households about $450 more for their PG&E bills compared to a year ago.

“We’re excited about the future we’re creating for our customers and investors — differentiating ourselves on safety and financial performance while building a system that meets the climate challenges of tomorrow,” PG&E said in a story by KRON4.

Unfortunately for PG&E customers, they could be facing additional charges beyond the latest increases.

The California Public Utilities Commission is considering allowing PG&E to charge customers an extra $15 a month, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, to pay for a range of programs — from emergency storm response, past wildfire expenses and keeping its Diablo Canyon Power Plant in operation.

Those potential increases would help PG&E recoup costs incurred from last year’s winter storms.

“The commission owes an explanation to customers whenever they adopt a rate increase but now more than ever,” Mark Toney, executive director of ratepayer advocate nonprofit The Utility Reform Network, told the Chronicle.

PG&E showed profits of $2.24 billion in 2023, a nearly 25% year-over-year increase, according to KRON4.

“This rate increase is to cover last year’s cost overrun,” PG&E customer Mary Zhu, 84, said in a story by The San Francisco Standard. “It is a rush to judgment, and a company with $15 billion in the bank is not entitled to charity.”