(KRON) -- Sticker shock for some PG&E customers. Even for people who knew the utility was raising rates this year, January bills more than doubled for some.
Rate increases for PG&E customers have piled up in the last year and another could be coming in March. Even some customers doing the math say their bills just don’t add up.
The start of the New Year hasn’t been easy on the wallets of PG&E customers. Despite warnings about rate increases, social media is full of posts like this.
Bay Area customers complain about their monthly bills, and one even regrets their choice to get an electric vehicle.
Executive Director of The Utility Reform Network (TURN) Mark Toney says many PG&E customers are having to choose between heating their homes or feeding their families.
“More and more people are falling behind and are in danger of being disconnected," Toney said. "Many of whom are going to end up on the street homeless because they are going to be evicted from their properties.”
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a rate increase of 13 percent this month and is considering another 7.2 percent hike for March. If approved, PG&E Customers will pay about $48 more a month. TURN is pushing for new legislation that will cap future rate increases.
“At no more than the cost-of-living adjustment provided by social security on an annual basis,” Toney said.
According to PG&E, a majority of the money from the rate hikes will reduce wildfire risks, replace gas pipelines and improve infrastructure. PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian says there were also unexpected costs to cover.
“Things like the storms that we experienced last year -- the impact to our equipment," Sarkissian. "There’s a lot of costs that come with those.”
To help customers cover the costs, PG&E has expanded its Reach Program to provide more support to low-income households in 2024, increasing bill credits from $500 to $1,000 for qualifying customers.
Toney says if the company lowered rates, there would be less need for customer assistance programs.
“People don’t like to be told, do the right thing for the environment, spend extra money to replace your appliances and your reward is that your monthly bills will be higher than before,” Toney said.
This year’s rate hikes aren’t the only frustrations TURN has. They say last year the CPUC approved enough rate hikes to increase customer’s bills by 33%
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/o2E6wSb
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