Budget Billing FAQs

Budget Billing averages annual energy costs over the last 12 months to determine a monthly payment amount. Every four months we will review your Budget Billing amount and if your actual energy usage changes significantly we will adjust your Budget Billing amount. This amount may go up or down.

The benefits of Budget Billing include:

• More predictable monthly energy costs to help you budget expenses 
• Easy, no-cost enrollment 
• Ability to start and end program participation at any time 

Budget Billing is available to small business customers on A1, A6, B1, B6 and GNR1 rate plans and all residential customers except those on a NEM rate plan. Additionally, customers must not be on a payment plan or have a history or partial or late payments to enroll in the program.

NOTE: Customers receiving electricity through a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) are eligible for the program however the Budget Billing payment will not include electricity generation charges, which will be billed separately based on usage.

You will pay just your Budget Billing amount every month. Your actual gas and electric usage is still tracked and displayed on your energy statement but you will not pay these charges. The program is designed to even out your actual usage costs over the course of a year.

Every four months we will review your Budget Billing amount and if your actual energy usage changes significantly we will adjust your Budget Billing amount. This amount may go up or down.

Choose the method that’s easiest for you from the following options.

Enroll through your online account

Follow these steps to enroll in Budget Billing through your online account:

1. Login to your account.
2. Select the Help Me Pay option.
3. Choose the Budget Billing option.

Enroll with the online enrollment form

Complete the online enrollment form. Visit Budget Billing – Enroll. Have your PG&E account number ready. Then, submit your form to PG&E.

Enroll by phone

Enroll in Budget Billing by calling 1-800-743-5000.

The Budget Billing cost structure goes into effect on the next billing cycle after enrollment.

When you are enrolled in Budget Billing, PG&E monitors your account to ensure you are paying a monthly average of what you actually owe throughout the year. This is done through a review every four months and if your energy usage changes significantly we will adjust this amount based on your actual usage.

Yes, CARE program participants are eligible to enroll in Budget Billing.

To learn more, call a PG&E service representative at 1-800-743-5000.

Or, download the Budget Billing brochure (PDF, 133 KB).

You may also sign in to your account to see what your Budget Billing amount would be.