June 2011 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.
- CARE / FERASave 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 or download CARE application.
Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Program provides a monthly discount on electric bills for income-qualified households of three or more. Learn more or download FERA application. - DOT GASPlease 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 on the back side for more detail.
If you have questions about this notice, please call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
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.
- Then, dial 911 and call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
- Warn others to stay away.
- If gas is burning, do not attempt to extinguish the fire or stop the flowing gas.
- Only PG&E employees should operate pipeline valves.
- Unless you are a safe distance away from the suspected leak, do not light a match, start an engine, use metal tools, or operate any device with the potential to create a spark that might ignite the gas, including electric switches, door bells, radios, televisions, lights, appliances, and garage door openers.
If you plan on digging or trenching, please call Underground Service Alert (USA) by dialing 811 at least two working days before you begin. This free service will notify underground utility operators in the area of your planned work. PG&E will locate and mark our underground gas and electric facilities.
*"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 Application Filing of Pacific Gas and Electric Company: Approval of Energy Savings Assistance/CARE Programs and Budget On March 30, 2011, Commissioner Michael Peevey and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a ruling that ordered Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to file an application proposing programs and budget for PG&E's 2012–2014 low income assistance programs. These programs include the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and the Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) program.
On May 16, 2011, PG&E filed application no.11-05-019 for the approval of the 2012–2014 CARE and ESA program and budget (Application).
The ESA program offers free weatherization services, energy efficient appliances and energy education to income-qualifying households. The CARE program provides a discount on the PG&E bill of income-qualifying households of at least 20 percent.
This Application requests an annual ESA program budget of $137.9 million in 2012, $167.5 million in 2013, and $173.4 million in 2014. This represents a decrease of $18.9 million in 2012 over the approved 2009-2011 ESA program budget. For the CARE program, the Application requests an annual administrative budget of $12.1 million for 2012, $11.3 million for 2013, and $11.7 million for 2014. This represents an increase of $2.6 million in 2012 over the approved 2009-2011 CARE administrative budget.
How does this affect rates?
If this application is approved, it would result in a change of less than one percent in PG&E's total annual revenue. The bundled system average electric rate in 2014, the year with the largest request, will increase by 0.1 percent relative to current rates. PG&E's electric rate change will affect the Public Purpose Program rate component which is paid by bundled, direct access, community choice aggregation and eligible departing load customers. The bundled non-CARE residential average gas rate in 2014, the year with the largest request, will increase by 0.5 percent relative to current rates.
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
ESA/CARE Application
P.O. Box 7442
San Francisco, CA 94120
THE CPUC PROCESS
The California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) and the Energy Division will 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 may 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 (A.11-05-019) 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 ESA/CARE 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 and on the CPUC's website at www.cpuc.ca.gov/puc. - Notification of Pacific Gas and Electric Company's 2012 Electric Procurement Forecast Costs and Other Project Costs ApplicationOn June 1, 2011, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) filed application 11-06-004 with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to request an increase in electricity rates of $205 million, or an average of approximately 1.6 percent, effective January 1, 2012. This increase is due primarily to rising energy prices as compared with the current costs reflected in PG&E rates.
Each year, PG&E is required to file an application that forecasts how much it will spend the following year to ensure an adequate supply of electricity 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's customers at a later date.
This application requests that the CPUC adopt PG&E's 2012 electric procurement forecast of approximately $4.5 billion for the Energy Resource Recovery Account (ERRA) and Generation Non Bypassable Forecast costs. PG&E recovers its electric procurement costs dollar for dollar, with no profit margin.
Will rates increase as a result of this application?
Yes, because of rising energy costs, rates will increase for most customers; although impacts for individual customers will vary. As shown in the table below, bundled customers, or those customers who receive electric generation as well as transmission and distribution service from PG&E, will see rate increases. Most direct access customers, or those customers who purchase their energy from a non-utility supplier, will see rate decreases.
If the CPUC approves this application, a typical bundled residential customer using 550 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month will see his or her average monthly bill change from $79.70 to $80.61, an increase of $0.91 per month. A residential customer using 850 kWh per month, which is about twice the baseline allowance, will see his or her average monthly bill change from $178.64 to $183.97, an increase of $5.33 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 1-800-743-5000. 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
2012 ERRA and 2012 Generation Non Bypassable Forecast Proceeding
P.O. Box 7442, San Francisco, CA 94120
THE CPUC PROCESS
The CPUC's Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) and the Energy Division will 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 may 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 (A.11-06-004) 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 2012 ERRA and 2012 Non Generation 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 and on the CPUC's website at www.cpuc.ca.gov/puc.
