Budget Billing reduces big spikes on your energy bills


Budget Billing helps offset high winter heating and summer air conditioning peak bills. It also provides more predictable monthly energy costs to help you budget expenses. Watch this Energy Essentials video to learn how Budget Billing can help you save money and control the way you pay. Enroll in Budget Billing today to start seeing benefits in your next billing cycle.


✓ Pro tip: To realize the full benefits and start avoiding seasonal peak bills, stay enrolled in the Budget Billing program for at least a year.

Budget Billing vs. actual energy costs


The Budget Billing program averages your energy costs over the previous 12 months to determine your monthly payment amount. If your actual energy costs significantly change, we adjust your monthly Budget Billing payment amount once every four months.


Here's a sample view of a Budget Billing customer's actual energy costs compared to their Budget Billing amounts over a year.


budget billing monthly graph

While in the program, you may accrue account balance or credit. If you unenroll from the program, this balance or credit will be reflected on your next energy statement.


You must pay the exact monthly Budget Billing amount on time to remain in the program.


Download the Budget Billing brochure (PDF, 75 KB)

Budget Billing is available to all residential customers—except those on a NEM rate plan and small business customers on A1, A6, B1, B6 and GNR1 rate plans.


  • You must not be on a payment plan or have a history of partial or late payments to enroll in the program.
  • Start and end program participation at any time. Your calculated monthly Budget Billing amount should appear on your energy statement as early as next month.
  • Enroll in Budget Billing after you’ve paid your last month’s bill. This ensures you don’t enroll in Budget Billing with a balance.

If you’re a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA), Direct Access (DA) or Core Transport Agent (CTA) customer, Budget Billing doesn’t apply to the electric generation or procurement portion of your energy costs.


Remember, continued program participation requires you to pay the exact monthly Budget Billing amount on time. Past due or underpayments may result in unenrollment.

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Enroll through your online account (Available for Residential customers only)

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.
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Enroll with the online enrollment form

  1. Have your PG&E account number ready.
  2. Complete the online enrollment form.
  3. Submit your form to PG&E.
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Enroll by phone

To enroll in Budget Billing by phone, call 1-800-743-5000.

When you enroll in Budget Billing, we average your annual energy costs over the last 12 months to determine your monthly payment amount.


Residential customers may visit Your Account to find out what their monthly Budget Billing payment could be.


If your actual energy usage has changed significantly, we adjust your monthly payment amount once every four months. This adjustment could raise or lower your monthly payment amount.


We strongly recommend that you stay enrolled in the Budget Billing program for at least a year to realize the full benefits and avoid seasonal peak bills.


It’s also important that you make your monthly payments on time and in the exact amount as shown on your energy statement. If you pay more than your monthly payment amount, the excess payment will not be reflected on your account as a balance unless you unenroll from the program.


You can unenroll at any time. You’ll also be unenrolled from Budget Billing if you:


  • Stop your PG&E service
  • Have past due payments
  • Switch to an ineligible rate plan (e.g., enroll in Net Energy Metering)

Upon unenrollment from Budget Billing, your remaining balance will be calculated. The total amount you owed or were credited will be reflected on your next energy statement.

Here’s how Budget Billing shows up on your energy statement:

Budget Billing Statement Page 1
  1. Account No: Your account number is a 10-digit number. We use this number to identify your account if you call us about your energy use. Your account number and due date are at the top of every page of your statement. You receive a separate monthly energy statement for each active account.
  2. Service For: This is the address where your charges were incurred. Some customers receive PG&E service at multiple locations. This section indicates which property incurred the charges.
  3. Your Budget Billing Summary: Your ‘Budget Billing Amount This Period’ is based on average energy charges over the past 12 months. Although a more detailed breakdown of your usage and payments is available on your energy statement, you’re required to pay this amount.
  4. Questions About Your Bill?: Contact us with questions using the information found on the first page of the statement.
  5. Total Amount Due: This shows the amount you need to pay for that billing period. This charge includes your calculated Budget Billing monthly payment amount and any generation or procurement charges for Community Choice Aggregator (CCA), Direct Access (DA) or Core Transport Agent (CTA) customers. The notes below reflect other information about your account and any special programs you participate in.
  6. Savings Alert: We use this space for notes about your account, including any special programs that might affect your total charges.
  7. How Budget Billing Affects Your Energy Payments: This chart helps you identify any trends in your monthly energy usages over the past year. Use the data to understand how Budget Billing helps equalize your payment across different seasons.
  8. Your Account Details: The information in this section helps explain how your payments and energy usage are currently affecting your account balance.
    1. Account Balance from Previous Statement: This shows your total account balance, the amount that you owed (positive value) or the amount you were credited (negative value) before you made a payment per your previous bill.
    2. Payment(s) Received Since Last Statement: This shows the payment from your previous bill. Payments made to PG&E are shown as credits—hence, the negative value.
    3. Account Balance Before Current Charges: This shows the total account balance after your payment for your previous bill. It's the sum of your a) Account Balance from Previous Statement; and b) Payment(s) Received Since Last Statement.
    4. Current Electric Charges: This is the actual cost related to your electricity usage in the last billing period.
    5. Current Gas Charges: This is the actual cost related to your gas usage in the last billing period. It's the amount you'd be required to pay for your electricity usage if you were NOT enrolled in Budget Billing.
    6. Total Current Account Balance: This shows your current account balance at this billing period. This is the accumulated differences between your monthly payment amounts and actual usage costs during your enrollment in Budget Billing. The amount you credit/owe would be reflected on your bill if you voluntarily unenroll or are removed from the Budget Billing program.
  9. Important Messages: We use this space to share timely information—from summer safety tips to regulatory updates.
  10. Payment Stub: Return this form to the address indicated with your payment. The remittance stub indicates your account number, bill due date and total amount due. For your convenience, we have included a windowed return envelope. Please place the remittance stub with the PG&E address visible in the window. The back of the remittance stub includes an area for you to update your account information, as well as an overview of payment options.


Budget Billing Statement Page 2

Please note: Budget Billing doesn’t apply to the electric generation or procurement portion of your energy costs if you’re a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA), Direct Access (DA) or Core Transport Agent (CTA) customer.


Below is a sample energy statement of a CCA/DA customer on Budget Billing. The Total Amount due in this case includes both the Budget Billing monthly payment amount and the associated CCA/DA electric generation charges.

Budget and control how you pay

Let us help you manage how you budget and pay for energy. Learn easy ways to keep your energy costs predictable.


Learn more about Budget Billing, Energy Alerts, paperless billing and automatic payments.


Audio description and transcript also available for this video.


Access an audio descriptive version
Download a transcript (PDF, 56 KB)

Budget and control how you pay

1OF1

Let us help you manage how you budget and pay for energy. Learn easy ways to keep your energy costs predictable.


Learn more about Budget Billing, Energy Alerts, paperless billing and automatic payments.


Audio description and transcript also available for this video.


Access an audio descriptive version
Download a transcript (PDF, 56 KB)