SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — SDG&E customers with past-due balances are starting to receive email notices about changes to the company’s collection procedures that had been modified during the pandemic and want customers to know that there are payment plans and other options available for assistance.
“Ultimately, we just need our customers to be in communication if they fall behind on their bill,” said Anthony Wagner, Communications Manager for SDG&E.
If you have a past-due balance of $200 or more, you may have received an email from SDG&E over the past few weeks notifying customers that late notices will start going out soon.
“We want all of our customers that are in that particular situation to know about all the financial assistance programs that are available,” said Wagner. “Whether that be a bill discount or debt relief or a payment program that’s right for them.”
In a statement sent to CBS 8, SDG&E said "No residential customer has been disconnected for not paying their bill since March 2020 and SDG&E has made the voluntary decision to continue this practice as we fight on behalf of our customers for additional debt relief funding that was approved by the California Legislature last night."
CBS 8’s Brian White spent the day researching the different options available to people with past-due utility bills.
Options if you have an outstanding balance with SDG&E
For starters, if you want to chip away at your old balance, you can set up a payment plan simply by logging into your account and choosing an arrangement that works for you.
You may also qualify for the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program, which could give you a 30% discount on your monthly bill. Eligible households of 1-2 people make less than $36,620 per year or up to $46,060 for 3 people.
For households with higher incomes than that, you could still be eligible to receive 18% off your bill with the Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) program.
If you already participate in either the CARE or FERA programs, you may be eligible for debt forgiveness through SDG&E’s AMP plan. It’s a 12-month payment plan that forgives one-twelfth of a person’s debt with each on-time payment of the current month’s bill, for up to $8,000 in debt relief after twelve months of paying on time.
“We care about our customers and we understand these are trying times,” said Wagner. “This is the second communication that we’ve sent in several weeks to help those customers with past-due balances to get back in communication with us.”
For more info on your options, visit sdge.com/assistance.
WATCH RELATED: Bill credits coming for SDG&E San Diego customers