SAN DIEGO — About one-fourth of SDG&E’s customers are past-due on their monthly energy bills while the total amount collectively owed has dropped by $20 million over the past six months.
According to a recent filing with the California Public Utilities Commission, 361,162 SDG&E customers were at least one month behind on their energy bills as of January 2024.
That represents about 26% of their residential customer base.
"The fundamental and root cause of this is the high, high, high SDG&E rates. Historically they have always been among the highest in the country, if not the highest,” said Edward Lopez, Executive Director of the watchdog nonprofit UCAN, the Utility Consumers’ Action Network.
“This is a problem that is not new,” said Lopez. “This problem is too outstanding. It’s contributing to general unaffordability, especially here in California and San Diego.”
On the positive side, the number of past due accounts dropped by 16,000 compared to the previous month, and the total dollar amount collectively owed by SDG&E customers fell from $275.25 million in July 2023 to $255.8 million in January 2024.
“We care, we understand it may be stressful to be behind on your bill but we are always here to help and craft individualized plans to get you back on the right track,” said Anthony Wagner, Communications Manager for SDG&E.
“We have had robust and strategic programs to be in communication with some of our constituency that’s fallen behind,” said Wagner. “We’ve yet to find a customer we’ve not been able to help regardless of their circumstance when we’ve been in open lines of communication.”
What kind of help is available?
- The CARE program offers low-income customers who qualify a 30% discount.
- The FERA program, Family Energy Rate Assistance – if you have 3 or more people in your household and meet the low-income requirements, you could save 18% on your monthly electric bill.
- The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides one-time financial assistance for an eligible household’s utility bill, or if you’re in danger of having your power turned off.
“They shouldn’t feel ashamed of falling behind in their bills, that’s just a sad state of reality right now,” said Lopez. “Reach out to SDG&E, let them know you’d like to be on a payment plan or find some other resources to help pay your bill. It’s actually in SDG&E’s best interest that they retain customers obviously and somehow keep them connected.”
“Affordability is a state-wide critical issue for our customers, and we remain focused on working with policymakers, regulators, and other stakeholders on reforms that enable us to enhance public safety and meet the State’s ambitious clean energy goals while keeping energy bills manageable, especially for our most vulnerable families.”
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