November 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.
- Our 2012 schedule shows when your meter will be readPlease use this schedule as a guide for the monthly dates PG&E will visit your home or business to read your meter.
We make every effort to read your meter each month on the scheduled date. However, sometimes, we may need to read your meter on a slightly different date. Please allow access to your meter and secure your pet one day before and one day after your scheduled meter read date. Follow the steps below to find the date we will read your meter each month.
1) In the Account Detail section of your statement, locate your Serial Letter.
2) In the table above, locate your Serial Letter in the Serial column.
3) To the right of your Serial Letter, locate the date we will read your meter(s) each month (August 23 in the table above).
We are currently in the process of upgrading our meters with SmartMeter™ technology. Until your meter can be read remotely, a PG&E meter reader will continue to read your meter. Visit www.pge.com/smartmeter to learn when SmartMeter™ technology will be installed in your area.
Alternative Meter Reading Methods
If access to your meter(s) is not available because of locked gates, a hazardous condition or family pets, the following alternative meter reading methods may be considered.
Customer's Key: Our meter reading department will maintain the security of your personal key. Your key will only be used by authorized PG&E personnel to gain access to your meter.
Lock Box: If you have multiple meters at one location, we can install a lock box, free of charge, to hold the key that provides access to your meters. Only authorized personnel will have access to your key.
Self-Read: You must apply, and be approved, to use this method. This method is not available for customers with time-of-use meters.
For more information about our alternative meter reading methods or to enroll, please visit www.pge.com/meterreading or call 1-800-743-5000.
Dog Owners: Safety First!
Please remember to secure your pet one day before and one day after your scheduled meter read date. - Agricultural Customers: You may save money by selecting an alternate electric rate scheduleAgricultural Customers: You may save money by selecting an alternate electric rate schedule
Electric rate schedules available to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) agricultural customers are summarized below. Your current rate schedule is found at the beginning of the Electric Account Detail section of your bill. Detailed rate 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 perform your own rate analysis online at www.pge.com/mybusiness.
ELECTRIC RATE SCHEDULES*
AG-1 is for customers with low annual operating hours (generally less than 500 hours) and who are unable to minimize their electricity use during summer weekdays (May 1 through October 31) from 12–6 p.m. 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 12–6 p.m., so please review the TOU rate options below.)
Time-of-Use Service†: TOU plans offer lower rates during periods when electric demand is low and higher rates when demand is high. A TOU meter is required for all services and must be installed to meet this requirement. 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 12–6 p.m. Service load with a single motor of at least 35 horsepower (hp) or multiple motors of at least 15 hp may save even more on the AG-4C rate schedule if usage can be minimized on summer and winter weekdays from 8:30 a.m.–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 12–6 p.m. Service load with a single motor of at least 35 hp or multiple motors of at least 15 hp may save even more on the AG-5C rate schedule if usage can be minimized on summer and winter weekdays from 8:30 a.m.–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 12–6 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 are available when eligible generation offsets all or part of your electric load when connected to the PG&E grid.
You may interconnect more than one generator, each subject to different rate treatment (for example, NEMFC and NEM solar), on a single account. Contact PG&E at gen@pge.com for more information.
Please visit www.pge.com/gen for current requirements or for more information about additional net metering options.
E-SRG is available for renewable generators up to 1.5 megawatts. For more information, email gen@pge.com.
Peak Day Pricing: Peak Day Pricing is a Time-Varying Pricing plan that combines Time-Of-Use with Peak Day Pricing Event Day surcharges. Participants will see additional charges during peak hours (weekdays from 2–6 p.m.) on a limited number of Peak Day Pricing Event Days (9–15 annually) and receive credit for all other usage throughout the summer. Notification is provided in advance of Peak Day Pricing Event Days. Bill protection is provided for the first year, so you can participate without risk. If you can reduce or shift use away from higher priced peak periods, you may be able to lower your overall electricity bills.
As of February 1, 2011, bundled service agricultural customers with a demand greater than or equal to 200 kW for three consecutive months began automatically transitioning to Peak Day Pricing. Other eligibility criteria and exclusions apply. To learn more visit www.pge.com/pdp, contact your PG&E Account Manager or call PG&E's Ag Hotline 1-877-311-3276.
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 for E-DBP.
Base Interruptible Program (E-BIP) offers participants incentives for reducing electric load down to a firm service level when contacted. AG-R and AG-V customers are not eligible for E-BIP.
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.
Visit the For My Business section of www.pge.com for information on energy usage, billing history, rate comparison tools, energy outage and restoration status, bill detail, account aggregation and more.
* 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 2011, daylight saving time will end on November 6. During the additional weeks of daylight saving time, your time-of-use periods will begin and end one hour later. - Notification of PG&E's Application for Recovery of Natural Disaster-related Costs in Electric Rates (A. 11-09-014)Notification of PG&E's Application for Recovery of Natural Disaster-related Costs in Electric Rates (A. 11-09-014)
On September 21, 2011, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (“PG&E”) filed Application No. 11-09-014 with the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”), in which PG&E seeks authorization to recover costs recorded in its Catastrophic Event Memorandum Account (“CEMA”) that are associated with the following seven natural disasters: August 2009 fires, October 2009 storm, January 2010 earthquake, January 2010 storms, November 2010 storm, December 2010 thru January 2011 storms and the March 2011 storms (collectively, the “CEMA Events”).
PG&E estimates that electric revenues to cover these costs will increase by $32.44 million over a 1-year period beginning January 1, 2013.
What is CEMA and what does it do?
CEMA stands for Catastrophic Event Memorandum Account. California state law allows public utilities to seek recovery of the incremental costs of: (1) restoring utility services to its customers; (2) repairing, replacing or restoring damaged utility facilities; and (3) complying with government agency orders resulting from declared disasters. The CPUC requires that costs recorded in a utility’s CEMA may be recovered in rates only after a request by the affected utility, a demonstration of their reasonableness and approval by the CPUC.
What types of costs are included in PG&E’s Application?
During the period from August 2009 through July 2011, PG&E incurred over $225 million in costs from the CEMA Events across its service territory. However, consistent with CPUC requirements, PG&E is seeking recovery for damages incurred only in those counties that were declared a state of emergency. In its Application, PG&E requests authorization to recover $32.44 million in revenue requirements associated with additional electric distribution, hydro generation and customer contact center operations costs incurred as a result of the CEMA Events.
Does this mean rates will increase?
Yes. If PG&E’s application is approved, it would result in a change of less than one percent in PG&E’s total annual revenue and a slight increase to electric rates for bundled service customers (customers who receive electric generation as well as transmission and distribution service from PG&E) and for customers who purchase electricity from other suppliers (direct access and community choice aggregation). The estimated system bundled average rate would increase by approximately 0.26% relative to current rates on January 1, 2013.
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
CEMA Application
P.O. Box 7442, San Francisco, CA 94120
THE CPUC PROCESS
The CPUC’s Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) 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
Email 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 (11-09-014) 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 CEMA 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.
