California to give out millions in electricity bill refunds next month: Do you qualify?

(FOX40.COM) — Millions of dollars worth of refunds are expected to be distributed to Californians’ electricity bills after Gov. Gavin Newsom made an announcement on Wednesday about new legislation aimed at helping people save money. But who qualifies?
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The refund, officially known as the California Climate Credit, provides ratepayers with their share of the benefits of California’s Cap-and-Trade Program. The program reportedly helps fight climate change by reducing the state’s greenhouse gas pollution.

According to Newsom’s office, it also creates incentives for California utilities and industries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, improve the efficiency of their operations, and move toward cleaner forms of energy.

The credits from the Cap-and-Trade Program are usually distributed twice a year – a natural gas credit in April and an electric credit in April and October. Over time, Newsom said refunds are expected to be larger because of new policies in the state.

“I just signed into law the biggest electricity bill refunds in a decade — up to $60 billion to help bring down costs for California families,” Newsom said on Sept. 19. “Millions of Californians will soon start saving billions on their energy costs, and the savings don’t stop there – we’re stabilizing the state’s gasoline supply to avert severe price spikes at the pump and we’re making it easier to build the abundant clean energy we need to keep bills lower.”

Who qualifies for an electric credit?

Anyone who receives services from both an eligible electric and an eligible natural gas service provider will receive both credits, according to Newsom’s office. Customers do not need to do anything to receive the credit – it is automatically applied to their bills.

While the credit amount is different from year to year, depending on the utility company, it is not related to the amount of energy used.

How much is the refund?

The rebate amounts vary by utility company. However, Newsom’s office gave an estimate for how much the average credit will be. He said most customers will get back about $61 on their electricity bills.

• PG&E – $58.23
• SCE – $56
• SDG&E – $81.38
• Bear Valley – $34.91
• Liberty – $63.71
• Pacific Power – $259.36

When will the refund be issued?

All credits are expected to be issued to bills automatically in October. For more information visit gov.ca.gov.