San Diego Gas & Electric residential customers will see a $60.70 credit on their billing statement in October, courtesy of the California Climate Credit program administered by the California Public Utilities Commission.
The program is part of the state's efforts to fight climate change. Billing cycles vary for customers, so not every ratepayer will see the credit at the same time, according to SDG&E.
Earlier this year, SDG&E residential customers who have both gas and electric service saw a total of about $104 in bill credit applied to their February and March statements. The two earlier installments of credits plus the latest one add up to $164.80 for the year.
"We appreciate working collaboratively with the California Public Utilities Commission to distribute the Climate Credit and offer some financial relief to our customers," Dana Golan, SDG&E vice president of customer services, said in a statement. "Anyone struggling to pay their bill is encouraged to reach out to us. We're here to help connect them with financial assistance programs."
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The California Climate Credit comes from the state's cap-and-trade program, which requires power plants, fuel providers, and large industrial facilities that emit greenhouse gases to buy carbon pollution permits.
There is no action required to receive the credit. All electricity customers, including community choice aggregation customers, will automatically receive the credit in their upcoming billing cycle.
San Diegans pay -- by a significant margin -- the highest energy rates of any metropolitan area in the nation at $0.475 per kilowatt hour as of August 2023, nearly double Los Angeles, quadruple Seattle and comparable only to second-place urban Hawaii, which pays $0.401 per kWh, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, SDG&E does have assistance programs for those struggling with bills. Customers can visit sdge.com/assistance to explore resources such as bill discounts, debt relief payment arrangements and no-cost energy efficiency upgrades that can help lower bills long-term.
