September 2012 Bill Inserts

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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.

• Installing a new fence in the backyard?
  Be safe and know what's below.
  Call 811 at least 48 hours before you dig.

• PG&E cares about your safety
  Electric power lines are designed to be out of the public’s reach, and to safely deliver electricity from its source all the way to your home or business. When electric power lines fall to the ground they should be considered “live,” or energized, with electricity flowing.
  
  If you see a downed power line:
  • DON’T touch or try to move the power line or anything in contact with it.
  • DO call 911.
  • DO keep yourself, children and animals far away.
  
  Be aware of your surroundings and stay safe! Whether you are at home, at work, or at play, do not put yourself in harm’s way!
  
  Playing and recreation near power lines:
  • Don’t climb trees near power lines. And never climb utility poles, towers or substation fences. All utility property should be “off limits.”
  • Fly kites, model planes and balloons safely. Fly them only in wide-open spaces. Never fly them around power lines.
  Outside work near power lines:
  • Look up! Always examine your surroundings for power line locations before doing any outside work. Keep at least 10 feet away from overhead lines.
  • Trees and other vegetation near power lines should only be pruned by qualified line clearance tree care workers.
  
  If a power line falls across a vehicle:
  • If you’re not in the vehicle, stay far away and keep others away while calling 911.
  • If you’re inside the vehicle, if it’s safe, stay in the car until help arrives.
  • If you must leave the vehicle:
        1. Jump clear so you are not touching the car when your feet hit the ground.
        2. Keep your feet close together and shuffle away from the vehicle without picking up your feet.
  
  For more information visit www.pge.com/safety or call PG&E at S1-800-743-5000.

• 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 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.
  

• Natural gas customers: Please read this important gas safety information
  As a natural gas pipeline operator, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is responsible for maintaining its natural gas lines up to the gas service delivery point, or the point where our piping connects to customers’ gas pipes. Typically, this is near the gas meter, where the meter “tee” connects to 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. Gas pipelines 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 pipe 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 of this card for more detail.
  
  Damage from excavation is a common cause of pipeline accidents. That’s why you must always call Underground Service Alert (USA) at 811 at least two working days before you dig—even in your own yard. USA is a free service that will notify underground utility operators in the area of your planned work. PG&E will then locate and mark our underground gas and electric facilities.
  
  Natural gas piping should be inspected periodically for leaks and, if it’s metallic, for corrosion. If you find evidence of corrosion to metallic piping, you should contact a licensed contractor to correct the problem.
  
  If you suspect a gas leak:
  • Leave the area immediately and move to a safe location.
  • Dial 911 and then call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
  • Warn others nearby to stay away from the area.
  • If gas is burning, do not attempt to stop the flowing gas or extinguish the fire.
  • Until you are a safe distance away, do not light a match or operate any device that might create a spark, including electric switches, doorbells, radios, televisions and garage door openers.
  
  If you have questions about gas pipeline safety, 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.

• PG&E’s 2011 Power Mix
  PG&E delivers some of the nation’s cleanest electric power. More than half of the electricity we provide to our customers comes from sources that are renewable and/or emit no greenhouse gases. In fact, PG&E’s electricity creates only one-third as many greenhouse gas emissions per kilowatt-hour compared to the industry average.
  
  
  PG&E works with its customers, communities and various stakeholders and agencies to find innovative ways to procure, build and deliver clean energy. We are planning for the future by exploring and investing in new technologies that harvest energy from the sun, wind, and agricultural waste products. And we are actively investing in state-of-the-art, cleaner sources of fossil-based power to meet growing demand.
  
  Power Content Label
  Actual 2011 electric resources for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), as reported to the California Energy Commission.
  
  
  
  ¹ A significant amount of the energy generated by PG&E comes from clean, large hydroelectric power stations, which under California law, do not qualify as an eligible renewable resource.
  
  Note: Due to rounding conventions, the numbers above may not add up to 100%.

• Notification of Public Hearing
  The California Public Utilities Commission is Meeting in Fresno to Accept Public Comment on PG&E’s 2013 Cost of Capital Application (A.12-04-018)
  
  The California Public Utilities Commission would like to hear from you.
  
  Anyone wishing to present their views to the Commission may attend the hearing scheduled below:
  
  Tuesday, October 9, 2012, at 7:00 p.m.
  Fresno City Council Chambers
  2600 Fresno Street
  Fresno, CA 93721
  
  On April 20, 2012, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), requesting permission to decrease its authorized Cost of Capital (COC) for its electric and gas utility operations for test year 2013. If approved by the CPUC, PG&E’s electric revenues would decrease by approximately $74.6 million or 0.6 percent, and its gas revenues would decrease by approximately $22.7 million, or 0.7 percent.
  
  The cost of capital refers to the return PG&E pays its investors for the use of their money to build the energy infrastructure used to deliver gas and electricity. The cost of capital includes the interest rates paid to PG&E’s bond holders, as well as the rate of return that common shareholders receive.
  
  Below are current CPUC authorized values and those proposed by PG&E in this application:
  
  
  
  If the CPUC approves PG&E’s proposal, a typical bundled residential electric customer using 550 kWh per month would see a decrease in their average monthly bill of 0.6 percent or $0.50, from $89.73 to $89.23 per month. A customer using 850 kWh per month (roughly twice baseline) would receive a decrease of 1.1 percent or $1.98, from $185.92 to $183.94 per month. A typical residential customer using 37 therms per month would see an average monthly gas bill decrease of $0.25, from $46.13 to $45.88. Individual customer bills may differ.
  
  CPUC PROCESS
  Staff from the CPUC’s Public Advisor’s Office will be present at this hearing to assist you. The location listed on the front of this notice is wheelchair accessible. If you need special accommodations, e.g. sign language interpreters, please contact the Commission’s Public Advisor’s Office at 1-415-703-2074, toll-free at 1-866-849-8390 at least three business days prior to the meeting.
  
  If you are unable to attend this important hearing and would like additional information on how to participate at this public hearing or if you would like to submit written comments about A.12-04-018, please contact:
  
  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)
  Email to public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
  
  A copy of A.12-04-018 is available for review at the CPUC, 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

• Notice of Application of Pacific Gas And Electric Company’s 2013–2014 Statewide Marketing, Education and Outreach Program (A.12-08-007)
  On August 2, 2012, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) filed its 2013-2014 Statewide Marketing, Education & Outreach (ME&O) Application (12-08-007) with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as required by CPUC Decisions 12-04-045 and 12-05-015. In the application, PG&E proposes an annualized budget of $12.3 million for activities in 2013-2014 to support statewide customer awareness of energy efficiency, demand response, distributed and solar generation, and similar programs offered by investor-owned utilities such as PG&E, as well as state and local governments, and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). The changes from current revenues are only a $0.5 million increase in annual electric revenues, and a $0.07 million decrease in annual gas revenues.
  
  What is the Statewide Marketing, Education & Outreach Program?
  The Statewide ME&O Program is intended to create awareness around Energy Upgrade California (EUC), as a new statewide umbrella brand that increases consumer awareness about energy management and encourages consumer interest in programs to manage energy use. The EUC website www.energyupgradeca.org will provide education and a “gateway” for information about customer energy management programs and sources of additional information.
  
  What is the impact of PG&E’s request on existing rates?
  Approval of this application would result in a slight increase of about 0.004 percent to customer electric rates and a slight decrease of about 0.002 percent to customer gas rates. PG&E is requesting a $517,780 increase in annual electric revenues and a $66,509 decrease in annual gas revenues. Because PG&E’s revenue request is so low, the monthly electric bills for a typical customer using 550 kilowatts (kWh) per month and 37 therms (thm) per month remain unchanged at $89.73 and $46.13, respectively. The monthly electric bill for a typical customer using approximately twice the baseline allowance, or 850 kwh, per month will increase one cent from $185.92 to $185.93.
  
  Approval of PG&E’s proposed Statewide ME&O budget for 2013–2014 will result in slight changes to both gas and electric public purpose program and distribution charges. The annual electric Statewide ME&O budget request will result in a slight increase in public purpose program and distribution charges paid by all electric customers including bundled1, Direct Access2 and departing load customers who are required to pay public purpose program charges. PG&E’s annual gas Statewide ME&O budget request will result in a slight decrease in the 2013–2014 gas public purpose program surcharges paid by residential, commercial and industrial customers.
  
  PG&E expects that the rate changes associated with this application will be consolidated with changes in other CPUC proceedings, such as PG&E’s 2012 Annual Electric True-Up and Public Purpose Program Surcharge advice letters filed later this year, so the eventual net change in rates for individual customers is difficult to predict.
  
  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. Please specify that you are inquiring about A.12-08-007.
  
  You may request a copy of the application and exhibits by writing to:
  Pacific Gas and Electric Company
  Statewide ME&O 2013–2014 Program
  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 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)
  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 (12-08-007) to which you are referring. All comments will be circulated to the Commissioners, the assigned ALJ and the Energy Division staff.
  
  A copy of PG&E’s SW ME&O 2013–2014 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
  
  ¹ Customers who receive electric generation as well as transmission and distribution service from PG&E.
  ² Customers who purchase energy from an energy provider other than PG&E.