Urgent Alert
- Program
- Enrollment
- Community Choice Aggregator customers
- Rate impacts and comparisons
About the program
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) helps you save more on your bill by capping monthly electric and gas charges at a set amount, plus taxes and fees. The four-year program begins in 2023 and is only available to a limited number of eligible CARE customers.
What to expect
- You will pay a fixed amount each month for your gas and/or electric charges, plus taxes and fees.
- You will not need to pay this discount back.
- While it is always important to conserve energy, there is no penalty for daily changes in your household’s energy usage.
- If your bill amount is less than your Percentage of Income Payment Plan amount, you pay the lesser amount.
Your total gross annual household income determines your discount
- If your income fits within the income guidelines below, your monthly bill will be $29 for electric and $9 for gas, plus taxes and fees. Proof of income is required.
- If your income is higher than the income guidelines below, your monthly bill will be $86 for electric and $29 for gas, plus taxes and fees.
Note: Applying for this program does not guarantee enrollment. If capacity is full, you will be placed on a waitlist.
Apply for Percentage of Income Payment Plan
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) program is scheduled to run for up to four years, starting in 2023. Enrollment is limited.
I understand and agree that if I am enrolled in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan:
1. The information provided in my application is true and correct. I agree to provide proof of income if asked. I agree to allow PG&E to verify information that I provide.
2. I am required to follow the CARE recertification process every two years or submit the CARE Post Enrollment Verification (PEV) if requested to do so. The results of the recertification or PEV process may impact my Percentage of Income Payment Plan status.
3. I authorize PG&E to share my information with third parties that assist in the enrollment or evaluation of the program. The information that may be shared includes but is not limited to: my name, address, email address, contact information, energy usage, enrollment in other utility energy savings, energy management or customer assistance programs.
4. I will lose my Percentage of Income Payment Plan discount if I do any of the following: a. Become ineligible for CARE b. Change my rate to another rate other than Time-of-Use (Peak Pricing 4-9 p.m. Every Day) (E-TOU-C), Tiered (E-1), EV2-A, G-1 c. Enroll in Budget Billing, Core Transport Agency (CTA), Direct Access (DA), a non-participating Community Choice Aggregator (CCA), or a solar program d. Request a non-SmartMeter™ .
5. I will not be able to perform a personalized rate analysis or receive an annual rate analysis while enrolled in Percentage of Income Payment Plan.
6. I will not be allowed to enroll in, or remain enrolled in, pilot programs including but not limited to: Power Saver Rewards or Bring Your Own Thermostat.
The California Public Utility Commission Decision 21-10-012 requires all California investor-owned utilities to implement a Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP).
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan is designed to test whether the program will reduce the number of low-income households at risk of disconnections, encourage participation in energy saving and energy management programs, increase access to essential levels of energy service and to control program costs.
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan is a limited program to help us test and understand the necessary requirements for a possible long-term and larger scale program.
Customers will not automatically be enrolled into Percentage of Income Payment Plan. Customers must submit an application, there must be open participation space in the program and customers must meet the eligibility criteria.
Once the Percentage of Income Payment Plan is full, customers will be added to a waitlist and may be enrolled later if space in the program becomes available.
Within 7-10 business days from processing your Percentage of Income Payment Plan interest application, PG&E will send you a letter in the mail to confirm your eligibility and enrollment into the program or waitlist.
Enrollment
Receive a status notification
After your application is processed, you will receive a notification within 7-10 business days.
Communications regarding your enrollment will be sent by U.S. mail.
Post-enrollment proof of income
If you are required to provide proof of income, you will be notified by U.S. mail.
Did you receive a letter from us asking for proof of income?
If you received a letter to provide proof of income, you must respond by the date specified in the letter to keep your bill amount limited to:
- $29 for electric charges, plus taxes and fees
- $9 for gas charges, plus taxes and fees
How to verify your income
- Review the income guidelines table and confirm your total gross household income is not more than the amount for the number of people in your household. “Gross household income” is the total annual income for all members of your household before taxes.
- Complete and return the income verification form (PDF, 140 KB). The form includes a list of “proof of income” documents that you will be required to submit.
Unenroll from PIPP
There is no obligation to stay in the program. You may unenroll at any time by contacting us at 1-866-743-2273.
Customer participation
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan is for a period of up to four years beginning in February 2023. Customers who remain eligible may receive the discount for the duration of the program.
At the conclusion of the program, customers will be notified and will be automatically removed from the Percentage of Income Payment Plan.
The limited program is scheduled to end February 2027.
No, this is a discount program and is not required to be paid back.
Electric costs for the Percentage of Income Payment Plan are recovered through the Public Purpose Programs Charge. All PG&E ratepayers pay into Public Purpose Programs.
Gas costs for the Percentage of Income Payment Plan are recovered from gas costs from all gas customers in transportation rates on an equal-cents-per-therm basis.
Yes, customers may potentially enroll in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan program if they submit their interest and are eligible. The program has specific eligibility requirements and limited space. Submitting an application does not guarantee enrollment.
Yes. Customers enrolled in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan will still be eligible for Arrearage Management Plan (AMP), Energy Savings Assistance Program (ESAP), CARE, and Medical Baseline.
Submit a new PIPP application form to request your desired participation based on your household income. Proof of income may be required.
Community Choice Aggregator (CCA)
Yes, five CCAs are participating in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan.
- Central Coast Community Energy
- East Bay Community Energy
- MCE
- Redwood Coast Energy Authority
- Valley Clean Energy
Customers in a non-participating CCA (i.e., one not listed above) are not eligible to participate in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan program.
Customers will continue to receive the Percentage of Income Payment Plan discount applied to their full charges.
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan discount will be split over the total cost of the generation provided by your CCA and the transmission and delivery service provided by PG&E.
CCA Percentage of Income Payment Plan monthly discount breakdown
Electric Amount $29
- Transmission and Distribution (PG&E charges) $18
- Generation (CCA charges) $11
Electric Amount $86
- Transmission and Distribution (PG&E charges) $53
- Generation (CCA charges) $33
Rate impacts and comparisons
Yes. The monthly bill amounts for the Percentage of Income Payment Plan are expected to increase each year based on the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Customers enrolled in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan will receive notification of changes in the discount pricing.
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan is part of a statewide effort to assist low-income families with their monthly electric and/or gas charges and to help lower the amount of service disconnections due to non-payment.
PG&E and CCAs will not profit from the Percentage of Income Payment Plan.
Yes, customers enrolled in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan can change their rate to an eligible rate. The following are Percentage of Income Payment Plan eligible rate plans:
- Time-of-Use (Peak Pricing 4-9 p.m. Every Day) (E-TOU-C)
- Tiered Rate (E-1)
- EV2-A
- G-1
A rate analysis will only be available to customers for the first 3 months after enrolling in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan.
No, NEM rates are not eligible for the Percentage of Income Payment Plan program.
Yes, customers enrolled in the EV2-A rate plan are eligible to participate in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan program.
Application assistance
For help submitting your application or post-enrollment proof of income, please call PG&E Customer Service at 1-866-743-2273 or email PIPPHelpDesk@pge.com.
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