Find help to pay your bill or save energy

You can get help in the following ways:

• You can get help in the following ways: Receive a one-time energy credit for up to $300 through the Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH) Program (energy credit support is subject to funding availability). This program helps you pay for energy when a sudden hardship occurs. PG&E sponsors REACH and Dollar Energy Funds runs the program from 170 offices in Northern and Central California. Visit REACH (Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help).
  
  PLEASE NOTE: REACH is available only once within a 12-month period and customer must qualify for the program.
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides up to $1,000 in financial assistance to pay your eligible household energy costs including your bill for heating, cooling and home weatherization expenses. Program eligibility is based on federal income guidelines. Call 211 or (866) 675-6623 for income guidelines and a list of participating agencies who can help you apply.
  
  LIHEAP is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services.

Following are ways to cut expenses and conserve energy:

• Even out the highs and lows of your monthly bills with Budget Billing. With the plan, your bills are about the same throughout the year, even in hot or cold weather. Learn about Budget Billing.
• Save 20 percent or more on your monthly gas and electric bill by enrolling in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program. Learn about CARE.
• Get a monthly discount on your electric bill if your household has three or more people. Enroll in the Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Program.  Learn about FERA.
• Receive help if you’re a customer with special energy needs related to a medical condition. PLEASE NOTE: This program is not based on income. Apply for a Medical Baseline Allowance. Learn about Medical Baseline Allowance.
• PG&E's Green Saver Program enables income-qualified residential customers in select communities to save 20% on their electricity bill by subscribing to 100% solar energy. Visit the Green Saver Program.

Improve the energy efficiency of your home with no-cost upgrades such as lighting, weatherization, water-saving measures and more by enrolling in the Energy Savings Assistance Program. Visit Energy Savings Assistance Program.

Get heating, cooling and weatherproofing help with Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) oversees this federal program, run by 48 action agencies throughout the state. LIHEAP offers two types of aid:

• Help for heating or cooling homes.
• Help for weatherproofing homes.

Certain customers are higher priority:

• Families who spend a large part of their income on energy.
• Families with elderly or disabled members.
• Families with children under age three.

Dial 2-1-1 for LIHEAP income rules and a list of agencies, or visit California Department of Community Services & Development.

Need more time to pay? Keep your service on by making Payment Arrangements. You can schedule payment of your current balance over several months to help manage temporary financial strains. Sign in to Your Account and scroll down to Payment Options. Select Payment Arrangement and choose the option that works best for you:

• Installments allow you to spread your current balance over several months for up to 12 installments.
• Extension lets you pay the entire amount at a later date. Simply input the date on which you want to pay the full amount.

You may have experienced hardships during the pandemic, so we're here to help. We offer a variety of financial assistance programs, including AMP—a debt forgiveness plan for eligible residential customers. To apply today, call 1-800-743-5000.

Who is eligible?

Residential customers who:

• Are enrolled in California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance Program (FERA).
• Owe at least $500 or more on their gas and electric bill OR (for gas-only customers) owe at least $250 or more on their gas bill.
• Are more than 90 days past due.
• Have been a PG&E customer for at least six months.
• Have made at least one on-time payment.

PLEASE NOTE: Net energy metering (NEM), master-metered customers and master-metered customers with sub-metered tenants are currently not eligible to participate in AMP.

How do I enroll?

Please call us at 1-800-743-5000, to get started:

• Step 1: Our automated service will inform you if you are eligible for the Arrearage Management Plan (AMP).
• Step 2: AMP eligible customers can apply by phone through our automated enrollment service OR be transferred to a Customer Service Representative (CSR) to walk you through our program and application process.
• Step 3: Once approved, you will receive a customer notification confirming your enrollment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many payments are needed to complete the AMP?
12 on-time and in-full monthly payments are needed to qualify for the full AMP forgiveness.

What happens if I miss a payment?
You can miss up to two payments, but they cannot be two months in a row, as long as you make up the payment on the next billing due date with an on-time payment of both the current bill and the missed payment(s). Missing two payments in a row will cause you to be removed from the program.

What happens if I sign up for AMP but then can't keep up with my regular monthly payments?
There is no impact to the amounts already forgiven but you will be unenrolled from the program.

Is there a maximum amount eligible for debt forgiveness through AMP?
Yes, the maximum amount eligible for AMP forgiveness is $8,000. If your outstanding balance exceeds $8,000, the remaining balance will be considered an overage. The overage will be "held" separately until the end of the AMP enrollment.

What happens with the remaining amount not forgiven by AMP?
Your outstanding balance not forgiven by AMP will be deferred until AMP completion or unenrollment. Once you have completed the 12-month AMP enrollment or have been unenrolled from AMP, any outstanding balance is due on your next billing cycle.

Can I add new debt to my existing AMP program?
No. Any new charges issued on or after AMP enrollment are your responsibility to pay and cannot be added to your AMP-forgiven amount.

Can I sign up again after completing the AMP program?
Per the rules of the program, customers must wait 12 months after their last AMP-enrolled payment to re-enroll.

Can I be on another payment plan and still be eligible for AMP enrollment?
Yes, but you can only be on one payment plan at a time. Your existing pay plan will be cancelled prior to AMP enrollment.

Are Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) customers still eligible to participate in AMP?
Yes, CCA customers are eligible to participate if they meet the qualifications listed above under "Who is eligible?" and their CCA has agreed to participate. If your CCA is participating then both your PG&E charges and your CCA balances will be eligible for the program.

If your CCA is not offering AMP, then only PG&E's charges will be eligible for forgiveness. The charges from your CCA do not qualify for this program.

To learn more, contact your CCA provider.

Are Core Transport Agent (CTA) customers eligible to participate in AMP?
Yes, but only partially. The PG&E charges will be eligible for forgiveness for qualified customers but the monthly gas charges from your CTA are not included in the AMP eligibility calculations.

Are Direct Access (DA) customers eligible to participate in AMP?
Yes, but only partially. Electric Service Provider's (ESP) electricity commodity charges are not included in the AMP eligibility calculations.

Can I also participate in the Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH) and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) programs if I am enrolled in AMP?
Yes, you can participate in REACH and LIHEAP. Any financial assistance payments (pledges) from the LIHEAP program would be applied to current charges while enrolled in AMP.

If I am enrolled in AMP and then enroll in LIHEAP, can I use financial assistance payments from LIHEAP to pay my past-due balance?
No. Your LIHEAP payments apply only to current and future charges. If you are enrolled in AMP, your LIHEAP payments cannot be applied to any debt amount eligible for AMP debt forgiveness.