SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thousands of customers could save up to 20 percent or more on their monthly energy bill by taking a simple step - enrolling in Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program.
The CARE program gives income-qualified households deep discounts on their energy bills, but nearly one in 10 eligible customers are not signed up for the program and are missing out on significant savings.
“Our CARE program is an important part of providing affordable service to our customers. We encourage all our customers to learn more about CARE, and the variety of other programs we offer, to help them manage their energy costs and lower their monthly bill,” said PG&E Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Laurie Giammona.
PG&E estimates about 200,000 customers throughout its service area could save on their monthly costs by enrolling in CARE. In Sacramento County alone, which has the largest number of eligible customers not enrolled, more than 44,000 households could lower their bills.
|
Top Counties with Most Eligible |
Eligible Households |
|
| 1. Sacramento | 44,412 | |
| 2. Alameda | 17,765 | |
| 3. San Francisco | 14,081 | |
| 4. San Luis Obispo | 13,695 | |
| 5. San Mateo | 12,897 | |
| 6. Sonoma |
11,596 |
|
| 7. Placer | 10,042 | |
| 8. Santa Clara | 9,990 | |
| 9. Stanislaus | 7,669 | |
| 10. Marin | 7,247 | |
Currently, more than 1.4 million qualified customers throughout Northern and Central California are enrolled in CARE. PG&E has helped customers save more than $7.8 billion on their energy bills through the program.
Customers can apply for CARE online or via paper applications that are available through numerous community agencies throughout PG&E’s service area. Applying is easy and only takes about five minutes. If they qualify, customers will begin receiving the CARE program discount within their next billing cycle.
The Energy Savings Assistance Program can help customers already participating in the CARE Program save more energy and money with free energy-saving improvements to maximize energy efficiency in their home.
Every year, the California Public Utilities Commission adjusts the maximum qualifying income levels for CARE to reflect changes in the federal poverty guidelines. CARE is funded through a rate surcharge paid by all utility customers.
| CARE Income Guidelines* | ||
| Household Size |
Income Eligibility |
|
| 1-2 | $32,040 | |
| 3 | $40,320 | |
| 4 | $48,600 | |
| 5 | $56,880 | |
| 6 | $65,160 | |
| 7 | $73,460 | |
| 8 | $81,780 | |
| Each Additional Person | $8,320 | |
| * Effective June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017 | ||
To learn more about the CARE Program, visit www.pge.com/care. To learn more about the Energy Savings Assistance Program, visit www.pge.com/energysavings.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
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