September 9, 2022 - WASHINGTON – On Thursday, amidst a record breaking heat wave that has seen some parts of the Valley reach 116 degrees, Representative Josh Harder is calling on PG&E executives to suspend their tiered pricing system in order to keep at-risk Valley seniors and families safe without breaking their bank accounts. This comes in response to calls from his constituents reporting PG&E bills ranging from $500 to more than $700 per month, with huge rate increases coming as surprises to families trying to keep their loved ones cool.

“When it’s 110 degrees outside, lives are on the line, but PG&E is forgetting to prioritize the health and safety of our community by sticking with this tiered pricing system,” said Rep. Harder. “While this system was put in place to help reduce energy usage, during an emergency heatwave, PG&E must suspend the tiered pricing system, so no family has to choose between staying alive or paying a bill. I can’t believe I have to say this, but charging folks $500 or more to stay cool is greedy, dangerous, and just plain wrong.”

Currently, PG&E operates a tiered pricing system in which the company raises the price of electricity by 20% or more after a customer uses their “baseline” amount of electricity. For those using more electricity than usual trying to keep loved ones cool during a heat wave, these rate increases can come just days into the month, increasing their bill by hundreds of dollars.

A recent one-month PG&E bill sent to Rep. Harder’s office showing the impact of PG&E’s tiered system. Tier 1 prices are represented by blue bars. Tier 2 prices are represented by orange bars. The family was moved into Tier 2 pricing after just one week of August, before the heat wave increased their usage even more dramatically.
Source: Congressman Josh Harder    Photo credit: CA. ISO