PG&E Rates Will Rise by Nearly 13 Percent on Jan. 1 - Lost Coast Outpost
PG&E Rates Will Rise by Nearly 13 Percent on Jan. 1 | Lost Coast Outpost | Humboldt County News
Humboldt Bay Generating Station at King Salmon. File photo: Andrew Goff
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Get ready to pay more on your electric bill. PG&E rates are going to jump by nearly 13 percent on Monday.
Last month, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved PG&E’s 2023-2026 General Rate Case (GRC), a proceeding that takes place every four years to evaluate the costs of operating and maintaining the utility system and determine whether PG&E is authorized to charge its customers more for its services.
The average residential customer will pay about $384 more in 2024 for utilities to help PG&E pay for “critical safety investments for its customers and hometowns.” That amounts to about $32.50 more per month.
“As part of the GRC, the CPUC approved placing 1,230 miles of power lines underground in PG&E’s highest fire-risk areas,” PG&E stated in a Nov. 16 news release. “Undergrounding is permanent risk reduction that eliminates nearly 98% of risk of wildfire ignition from electrical equipment, increases electric reliability by reducing the need for safety-related power shutoffs, and saves customers billions of dollars in reduced annual tree trimming and overhead line maintenance costs.”
The rate hike will be followed by a much smaller increase of $4.50 per month in 2025. Average bills are expected to decrease by about $8 per month in 2026.
Income-eligible customers should look into bill assistance through PG&E. The California Alternate Rates for Energy(CARE) program provides a monthly discount of 20 percent or more on gas and electricity. The Family Electric Rate Assistance(FERA) program provides a monthly discount of 18 percent on electricity for households of three or more people.
More information on the rate increase and additional resources can be found here.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: energy efficiency
The energy price spikes of the 1970s drove consumers, businesses and government to calculate opportunities for energy efficiency — investments, practices, and regulations to avoid some of the energy costs associated with particular products or services. Those calculations ran counter to a lot of engrained practices, and the friction between business and government is a feature of energy and environment policy discussions. Now, energy efficiency decisions — whether involving building practices, appliance efficiency, or vehicle mileage and emissions standards — are a complex mix of government regulation and market behavior.