August 2010 Bill Inserts
Each month, PG&E offers important information on rebates, saving energy and safety in printed inserts that accompany your bill. Now, access this information online whenever you wish.
- Medical Baseline program: you may save money on your billOur Medical Baseline program provides additional amounts of energy at the lowest baseline price for qualified Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) residential customers with certain medical conditions. One or more people residing full-time in your home must be certified by a licensed California doctor as:
- Dependent on life-support equipment used in the home;
- A paraplegic, hemiplegic, quadriplegic, scleroderma or multiple sclerosis patient with special heating and/or air-conditioning needs; or
- Receiving treatment for a life-threatening illness compromised immune system or other medical condition requiring special heating and/or cooling requirements to sustain life or prevent deterioration of the patient’s medical condition.
Visit www.pge.com/medicalbaseline or call 1-800-743-5000 for details or to apply. - Agricultural Customers: you may save money by selecting an alternate electric rate scheduleThe electric rate schedules available to agricultural customers are summarized below. Compare your current rate schedule, found at the beginning of the Electric Account Detail section of your Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) bill, with the ones listed below. Detailed gas and electric rate schedule information is available at www.pge.com/rateoptions.
A FREE RATE ANALYSIS IS AVAILABLE
Contact your local PG&E business representative or call PG&E’s Agricultural Center at 1-877-311-3276 (FARM) to request a free electric rate analysis, rate schedule change or additional rate option information. You may also do your own rate analysis online at www.pge.com/mybusiness.
ELECTRIC RATE SCHEDULES*
AG-1 is for customers who have low annual operating hours (generally less than 500 hours) and who are unable to minimize their use of electricity during the summer weekdays (May 1 through October 31) between noon and 6 p.m. However, it is not available to customers whose meter registers a maximum demand of 200 kilowatts (kW) or more for three consecutive months.
(Note: A Time-of-Use (TOU) rate may still be the best choice even if you need to run equipment from noon to 6 p.m., so please review the TOU rate options below.)
Time-of-Use (TOU) Service†:
The TOU schedules listed below may save you money if you are able to shift your hours of energy usage. A TOU meter is required for service on all TOU schedules. If a TOU meter must be installed to meet this requirement, the installation will generally occur within four weeks of your request. There is no charge for the meter installation; however, meter access is required at all times.
AG-4 is for customers with moderate annual operating hours (generally 500 to 1,200 hours). Additional savings are possible if you can minimize electricity use on summer weekdays between noon and 6 p.m. Customers whose service has a single motor load of at least 35 horsepower (hp) or multiple motor load of at least 15 hp may save even more on the AG-4C rate schedule if they can minimize usage on summer and winter weekdays from 8:30 a.m. through 9:30 p.m.
AG-5 is for customers with high annual operating hours (generally greater than 1,200 hours). Additional savings are possible if you can minimize electricity use on summer weekdays between noon and 6 p.m. Customers whose service has a single motor load of at least 35 hp or multiple motor load of at least 15 hp may save even more on the AG-5C rate schedule if they can minimize usage on summer and winter weekdays from 8:30 a.m. through 9:30 p.m.
AG-R is for customers who need to operate 24 hours a day for up to four consecutive days a week (Thu–Sun or Sat–Tue) during the summer but can minimize use from noon to 6 p.m. on the three remaining weekdays.
AG-V is for customers who can minimize electricity use on summer weekdays during any one of these time periods: 12–4 p.m.; 1–5 p.m.; or 2–6 p.m.
Net Energy Metering Service (NEM, NEMFC): These schedules are for customers who operate a fuel cell, photovoltaic (solar) system and/or wind electric generating facility on their premises with a maximum total capacity of 1,000 kW. These services are available when the eligible generation offsets all or part of a customer’s electric load when connected to the PG&E grid.
Customers interested in interconnecting more than one generator, each subject to different rate treatment (for example, NEMFC and NEM solar), on a single account can now do so. Contact PG&E at gen@pge.com for more information.
Please visit www.pge.com/gen for NEM and NEMFC’s current requirements or for more information about additional net metering options.
E-SRG is a new rate schedule available for renewable generators up to 1.5 megawatts. For more information, e-mail gen@pge.com.
DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAMS
Demand Bidding Program (E-DBP) offers demand metered TOU participants incentives for reducing their power usage when contacted. AG-R and AG-V customers are not eligible.
Base Interruptible Program (E-BIP) offers participants incentives for reducing their electric load down to a firm service level when contacted. AG-R and AG-V customers are not eligible.
Capacity Bidding Program (E-CBP) offers participants incentives for reducing energy consumption by a nominated capacity amount when contacted.
To see if a demand response program is right for you, please visit www.pge.com/demandresponse for additional program requirements and details.
Please visit the Business Services for energy-saving tips, safety messages, rebate programs for energy-efficient products and more. You can also obtain information on energy usage, billing history, rate comparison tools, energy outage and restoration status, bill detail, and account aggregation by going to www.pge.com/mybusiness.
* For Direct Access (DA) and Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) customers, PG&E delivers the electricity to your home or business, and your DA or CCA provider purchases and/or generates the electricity you consume. Net Metering, CCA and DA customers are eligible for many, but not all, of the rate schedules or features of rate schedules listed in this notice. For more information, call the numbers below or call your DA or CCA provider.
† In 2010-2011, Daylight Saving Time will end on November 7 and start on March 13. During the additional weeks of Daylight Saving Time, your time-of-use periods will begin and end one hour later. - Notification of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Application for Air Resource Board Assembly Bill 32 Cost of Implementation Fee Recovery Program (A.10-08-002)On August 2, 2010, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in which PG&E asks for authority to recover costs associated with the Assembly Bill (AB) 32 Cost of Implementation Fee. PG&E estimates that its natural gas revenue required to cover these costs will increase by $15.6 million and its electric revenue required will increase by $0.5 million, both over a three-year period, beginning January 1, 2011.
What is the Air Resource Board Administration Cost Recovery Program? On September 27, 2006, AB 32, “the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006,” was signed into law. Among other provisions, AB 32 authorized the Air Resource Board (ARB) to adopt a schedule of fees (as specified in section 95201) to be paid by all sources of greenhouse gas emissions to fund the administrative costs of implementing AB 32.
On August 2, 2010, PG&E, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas & Electric Company jointly filed an application (A.10-08-002) with the CPUC requesting authority to allow PG&E to recover costs associated with the AB 32 Cost of Implementation Fee. The application asks for CPUC approval to record for future recovery of all costs associated with the AB 32 Cost of Implementation Fee. Electric costs will be recorded to the Energy Resource Recovery Account. Natural gas costs for core customers will be recorded to the Core Fixed Cost Account and natural gas costs for noncore customers will be recorded to the Noncore Cost Account.
Will rates increase as a result of this application? Yes, approval of this application will result in a slight increase to electric rates by less than one percent for bundled service customers (those who receive electric generation and transmission and distribution service from PG&E) as well as for natural gas customers. Using the forecast revenue requirement of $0.2 million for electric, the bundled system average rate will increase 0.0013% in 2011, relative to current rates. Similarly, using the forecast annual revenue requirement of $4.6 million for natural gas, average rate impacts for bundled core customers will increase 0.1% and unbundled customers affected by the change are shown in the following table:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
To request a copy of the application and exhibits or for more details, call PG&E at
1-800-743-5000. For TDD/TTY (speech-hearing impaired), call 1-800-652-4712.
You may request a copy of the application and exhibits by writing to:
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Air Resource Board Assembly Bill 32 Cost of Implementation Fee Recovery Program
P.O. Box 7442, San Francisco, CA 94120
THE CPUC PROCESS
The CPUC’s Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) may review this application. The DRA is an independent arm of the CPUC, created by the Legislature to represent the interests of all utility customers throughout the state and obtain the lowest possible rate for service consistent with reliable and safe service levels. The DRA has a multi-disciplinary staff with expertise in economics, finance, accounting and engineering. The DRA’s views do not necessarily reflect those of the CPUC. Other parties of record will also participate.
The CPUC may hold evidentiary hearings where parties of record present their proposals in testimony and are subject to cross-examination before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). These hearings are open to the public, but only those who are parties of record may present evidence or cross-examine witnesses during evidentiary hearings. Members of the public may attend, but not participate in, these hearings.
After considering all proposals and evidence presented during the hearing process, the ALJ will issue a draft decision. When the CPUC acts on this application, it may adopt all or part of PG&E’s request, amend or modify it, or deny the application. The CPUC’s final decision may be different from PG&E’s application.
If you would like to learn how you can participate in this proceeding or if you have comments or questions, you may contact the CPUC’s Public Advisor as follows:
Public Advisor’s Office
505 Van Ness Avenue
Room 2103
San Francisco, CA 94102
1-415-703-2074 or 1-866-849-8390 (toll free)
TTY 1-415-703-5282 or 1-866-836-7825 (toll free)
E-mail to public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
If you are writing a letter to the Public Advisor’s Office, please include the number of the application (10-08-002) to which you are referring. All comments will be circulated to the Commissioners, the assigned Administrative Law Judge and the Energy Division staff.
A copy of PG&E’s Air Resource Board Assembly Bill 32 Cost of Implementation Fee Recovery Program application and exhibits are also available for review at the California Public Utilities Commission, 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–noon. - Notification of Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Default Residential Rate Program Application (A.10-08-005)On August 9, 2010, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) filed its default residential rate design application with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The application complies with CPUC Decision 08-07-045. It includes a proposal for residential electric pricing called dynamic pricing and a request for recovery of implementation costs.
What is Dynamic Pricing?
Dynamic pricing is designed to reflect variations in the cost of electricity at different times of day and on days when temperatures are expected to be high. Dynamic pricing creates economic incentives for customers to actively manage their energy costs by reducing their electricity usage and/or by shifting load from high cost periods to lower cost periods. For example, when notified a day in advance that electricity prices will be high for a short period the next day, customers can arrange to use less electricity during that period.
This is also known as Critical Peak Pricing (CPP). Eligible customers will be automatically placed onto this CPP rate, however, they will be able to opt-out to a standard rate. The approach of automatically switching residential customers to a CPP rate, subject to opt-out, is known as "defaulting" customers to CPP. Effective implementation of dynamic pricing will provide opportunities for customers to lower their electricity costs while increasing electricity system reliability through demand stabilization over time and demand reduction when supply is low.
Will rates increase as a result of this application?
In its primary proposal, PG&E requests that the CPUC defer further consideration of this initiative to default residential customers to CPP until PG&E's next general rate design case in 2014. Deferring consideration of this initiative would have no current impact on rates.
If the CPUC does not defer the issue to the next general rate design case, PG&E requests approval of its residential default rate proposal to be implemented beginning in 2014 and authority to recover approximately $141 million for implementation costs through 2014. If the CPUC approves implementation of this default proposal for residential customers in this case, the cost will be recovered from all customers who receive transmission and distribution service from PG&E, including bundled1, Community Choice Aggregation and Direct Access2 customers. The table below shows the possible increase to each customer class needed to recover these costs. The increase shown below is for illustrative purposes and uses an increase of $101.4 million, which is the highest single year recovery for the program costs incurred through 2014 and is expected to occur in 2015. Rates actually adopted by the CPUC may be higher or lower than PG&E's initial proposal shown here.
If the CPUC approves PG&E's application, a typical residential customer using 550 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month will see the average monthly bill change from $77.71 to $78.01, an increase of $0.30 per month. A residential customer using approximately 850 kWh per month, which is twice the baseline allowance, will see the average monthly bill change from $175.67 to $178.04, an increase of $2.37 per month. Individual bills may differ.
1 Bundled customers take electric supply service from PG&E, as well as transmission and distribution service.
2 Direct Access customers, and customers in Community Choice Aggregation programs, take electric supply from non-PG&E suppliers. Other types of departing load customers (that is, customers that receive electric generation, transmission and distribution services from non-PG&E suppliers) will not be affected by this application.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
To request a copy of the application and exhibits or for more details, call PG&E at
1-800-743-5000. For TDD/TTY (speech-hearing impaired), call 1-800-652-4712.
You may request a copy of the application and exhibits by writing to:
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Default Residential Rate Program
P.O. Box 7442
San Francisco, CA 94120
THE CPUC PROCESS
The CPUC's Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) may review this application. The DRA is an independent arm of the CPUC, created by the Legislature to represent the interests of all utility customers throughout the state and obtain the lowest possible rate for service consistent with reliable and safe service levels. The DRA has a multi-disciplinary staff with expertise in economics, finance, accounting and engineering. The DRA's views do not necessarily reflect those of the CPUC. Other parties of record will also participate.
The CPUC may hold evidentiary hearings where parties of record present their proposals in testimony and are subject to cross-examination before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). These hearings are open to the public, but only those who are parties of record may present evidence or cross-examine witnesses during evidentiary hearings. Members of the public may attend, but not participate in, these hearings.
After considering all proposals and evidence presented during the hearing process, the ALJ will issue a draft decision. When the CPUC acts on this application, it may adopt all or part of PG&E's request, amend or modify it, or deny the application. The CPUC's final decision may be different from PG&E's application.
If you would like to learn how you can participate in this proceeding or if you have comments or questions, you may contact the CPUC's Public Advisor as follows:
Public Advisor's Office
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2103
San Francisco, CA 94102
1-415-703-2074 or 1-866-849-8390 (toll free)
TTY 1-415-703-5282 or 1-866-836-7825 (toll free)
E-mail to public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
If you are writing a letter to the Public Advisor's Office, please include the number of the application (10-08-005) to which you are referring. All comments will be circulated to the Commissioners, the assigned Administrative Law Judge and the Energy Division staff.
A copy of PG&E's Default Residential Rate Program application and exhibits are also available for review at the California Public Utilities Commission, 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–noon.
1 Bundled customers take electric supply service from PG&E, as well as transmission and distribution service.
2 Direct Access customers, and customers in Community Choice Aggregation programs, take electric supply from non-PG&E suppliers. Other types of departing load customers (that is, customers that receive electric generation, transmission and distribution services from non-PG&E suppliers) will not be affected by this application.
