Learn about the Safety Net program

We understand how troubling it is for you to go without power for 48 hours or even longer due to severe events like storms. Residential customers may qualify for the PG&E Safety Net program which offers the following:

  • Payments to residential customers who are without power for more than 48 hours due to a severe events, like storms (as determined by PG&E).
  • The Safety Net program, which pays $25 to $100 automatically 60 to 120 days after the outage. The amount may depend on the outage length.

We continue to work to lower the potential for future outage problems. Over 24,000 employees are focused on providing you with responsive service at fair prices.

Check your eligibility for the Storm Inconvenience Payment

Find out if you can receive a Storm Inconvenience Payment through the Safety Net program:

  • The Storm Inconvenience Payment provision applies only to residential customers with rate schedules E-1, EM, ES, ESR, ET, E-TOU-B, E-TOU-C and EV. You may also be enrolled in programs such as CARE or Medical Baseline Allowance.
  • Businesses, agricultural accounts, multi-family building common areas, streetlights and all other non-residential accounts are ineligible for Storm Inconvenience Payments.
  • If you’re in an area where access to our electric facilities is blocked due to mudslides, road closures or other issues, you’re ineligible for a Storm Inconvenience Payment. If your equipment prevented us from restoring your power and extended your outage, you are also ineligible for this payment. Examples of equipment include service drops and faulty weatherheads.
  • Outages must be the result of a major weather-related event that caused significant damage to our distribution system.
  • Public Safety Power Shutoff events are not eligible for this payment.
  • Outages must last more than 48 hours.
  • We provide Storm Inconvenience Payments in increments of $25, with a $100 maximum payment per event. Payment levels are based on the length of your outage:
    • 48 to 72 hours: $25
    • 72 to 96 hours: $50
    • 96 to 120 hours: $75
    • 120 hours or more: $100
  • If you have bundled service, direct access, or Community Choice Aggregation you qualify for Storm Inconvenience Payments.
  • We issue Storm Inconvenience Payments to the customer of record (the person whose name is on the account).
  • If you have multiple residential services such as a primary residence and a vacation home, you can receive Storm Inconvenience Payments at each location. This rule requires that the storm-related outage lasts more than 48 hours.
  • Service agreements with PG&E must be in good standing at the time of the outage and at the time we issue payment. Payments typically arrive 45 to 60 days after the event.
  • For master-metered accounts such as mobile home parks, the customer of record receives the payment for the master meter only.

PLEASE NOTE: If you experience an extended outage that isn't related to a storm or severe event, you may be eligible for the Service Guarantee Program. Get more information about this program. Visit Service Guarantee Program.

Get additional information

To learn more about outage compensation, visit the Outage Compensation FAQs or contact the extended outage line at 1-888-PGE-4PGE (1-888-743-4743) to speak with a representative.