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.

Visit Payment Arrangement

We know the importance of reliable gas and electricity for our customers, which is why we offer financial assistance programs. Pending CPUC approval, we anticipate launching the Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) in early 2021 —a new payment plan option to help qualifying residential customers reduce unpaid balances on their bills.

Who can participate in AMP?
In order to be eligible for this plan, you must be a residential customer and meet all the following eligibility requirements. You must:

• Be enrolled in one of PG&E’s financial assistance programs, CARE or FERA
• Owe at least $500 or more on your gas and electric bill, or owe at least $250 or more on your gas bill (applies to gas-only customers)
• Be more than 90 days past due
• Be a PG&E customer for at least 6 months, and have made at least one on-time payment

Net energy metering (NEM) participants are currently not eligible.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When will AMP be available to the public?
PG&E is planning to launch AMP in early 2021 pending CPUC approval.

How does AMP work?
With each on-time payment of your current charges, AMP will forgive 1/12 of the eligible debt you owed at the time of enrollment. After twelve on-time payments of your monthly current charges, your eligible debt will be forgiven up to $8,000.

Is there a cap or maximum amount eligible for debt forgiveness through AMP?
Yes, the maximum amount eligible for AMP forgiveness in a year is $8,000.

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

How many payments are needed to complete the AMP?
12 on-time monthly payments are needed to forgive your eligible debt amount, up to $8,000.

What happens if I miss a payment?
You can miss up to two non-sequential payments, 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 sequential payments, or failing to pay the 12th payment, will automatically remove you from AMP.

What happens if I sign up for AMP but then can’t keep up with my regular monthly payments?
If you break the AMP before reaching twelve on-time payments, there is no impact to the debt that has already been forgiven. However, your remaining debt will not be eligible to be forgiven.

Can I sign up again after completing the AMP program?
Once you complete the AMP, you are eligible to sign up again after a 12-month waiting period.

Can I be on another payment plan and enroll in AMP?
Yes, but you can only be on one payment plan at a time. If you qualify for AMP, then your previous payment plan will be replaced by your new AMP agreement.

Can I also participate in the REACH and 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 only 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 will only apply to future energy charges. If you are enrolled in AMP, your LIHEAP payments cannot be applied to any debt amount eligible for AMP debt forgiveness.