June 2010 Bill Inserts

• Print Page
• Email Page

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.

• Save money on your PG&E bill
  At Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), we understand these are challenging economic times. With PG&E's Breathe Easy Solutions™, we’ll help you manage your energy costs—which can be helpful when there is an unexpected change in your financial situation. Together, we can find solutions.
  
  California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program provides a monthly discount on electric bills for income-qualified households. Learn more about CARE or download an application.
  
  Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Program provides a monthly discount on electric bills for income-qualified households of three or more persons. Learn more about FERA or download an application.
• Natural gas customers: Please read this important gas safety information
  As a natural gas pipeline operator, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) owns and is responsible for maintaining natural gas lines up to the gas service delivery point—the point where PG&E piping connects to a customer's pipes. Typically, this is near the gas meter outlet where the PG&E meter "tee" connects to the pipes leading into a building (or if there is no building, to the fence or wall enclosing gas-fired equipment).
  
  PG&E does not maintain any natural gas lines beyond the gas service delivery point. Lines beyond this point are normally owned by the customer*, so inspecting and keeping up this piping is your responsibility. Examples of this piping include any buried piping from the gas service delivery point to your house or appliances, or from your house to a swimming pool heater, spa or other buildings. Please refer to the diagram below for more detail.
  
  Natural gas piping should be inspected periodically for leaks and, if it’s metallic, for corrosion. If you suspect a gas leak or find evidence of corrosion to metallic piping, you should take immediate steps to correct the problem:
  

  • Leave the area immediately and move to a safe location.
  • Dial 911 and then call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
  • Warn others to stay away.
  • Do not attempt to extinguish a natural gas fire or to stop the flowing of gas.
  • Do not try to operate pipeline valves.
  • Unless you are a safe distance away from the suspected leak, do not light a match, start an engine, use a home or cell phone, or operate electric devices such as switches, door bells, radios, televisions, lights, appliances and garage openers.

  
  When digging near buried gas piping, locate the piping in advance and carefully dig by hand. Contact a certified plumbing contractor to help you locate and inspect your buried gas piping. Call 811 to have underground utility-owned facilities located.
  
  If you have questions about this notice, please call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
  
  *"Customer" refers to the owner of the gas piping system served by PG&E. This may be either the property owner or another party who owns the gas piping.
  
  
• Notification of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s 2011 Electric Procurement Forecast Costs and Other Project Costs Application
  On May 28, 2010, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) filed Application 10-05-022 with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), requesting to lower electricity rates by $211 million, or approximately 1.7 percent on average, effective January 1, 2011.
  
  Each year, PG&E is required to file an application that forecasts how much it will spend the following year to ensure adequate electricity supply for its customers. The CPUC carefully reviews PG&E’s forecast to ensure that customers are not charged more for electricity than it costs PG&E to provide. The forecasted costs approved by the CPUC are included in PG&E’s electric rates the following year. During that year, PG&E’s actual costs and revenues are tracked, and any difference is allocated to PG&E customers at a later date. PG&E recovers its electric procurement costs dollar for dollar, with no profit margin.
  
  This application requests that the CPUC adopt PG&E’s 2011 electric procurement forecast of approximately $3.9 billion for the Energy Resource Recovery Account (ERRA) and Ongoing Competition Transition Cost (CTC), as well as the Power Charge Indifference Amount (PCIA). This forecast is $211 million lower than present 2011 revenue rates, which is primarily due to lower energy prices in 2010 and to 2011 forecasts being lower than currently reflected in PG&E rates. PG&E requests that electric rates designed to recover this amount become effective on January 1, 2011.
  
  Will rates increase as a result of this application?
  For most customers, no, although impacts for individual customers will vary. As shown in the table below, bundled customers (those who receive electric generation as well as transmission and distribution service from PG&E) will see revenue decreases, while most direct access customers (those who purchase their energy from a non-utility supplier) will see small increases.
  
  
  
  If the CPUC approves this application, a typical bundled residential customer using 550 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month will see the average monthly bill change from $77.40 to $76.92, a decrease of $0.48 per month. A residential customer using 850 kWh per month, which is about twice the baseline allowance, will see the average monthly bill change from $176.77 to $173.23, a decrease of $3.54 per month. Individual customers’ bills may differ.
  
  FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
  To request a copy of the application and exhibits or for more details, call PG&E at 1-800-PGE-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
  2011 ERRA Forecast Proceeding
  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 (10-05-022) 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 2011 ERRA Forecast Proceeding 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.