August 23, 2019 - SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Thousands of income-eligible customers could save up to 20 percent or more on their monthly energy bill by enrolling in Pacific Gas and 
Electric Company's (PG&E) California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program.
The CARE program gives income-qualified households discounts on their energy bills, but thousands of eligible customers are not signed up for the program and are missing out on significant savings.
"We want our customers to know they have the power to lower the cost of their energy bill. We hope the remaining eligible customers will learn more about the program and enroll," said PG&E Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Laurie Giammona.
PG&E estimates more than 74,000 customers throughout its service area could save on their monthly costs by enrolling in CARE. In Sacramento County alone, which has the largest number of eligible customers not enrolled, more than 33,000 households could lower their bills by simply signing up for CARE.
| 2019 Top Counties with Most Eligible Customers Not Enrolled | Eligible Households Not Enrolled |
|---|---|
| 1. Sacramento | 33,453 |
| 2. San Luis Obispo | 10,860 |
| 3. Placer | 10,916 |
| 4. San Mateo | 10,092 |
| 5. Stanislaus | 8,593 |
| 6.Humboldt | 6,398 |
| 7. Marin | 6,307 |
| 8. San Francisco | 5,966 |
| 9. Santa Cruz | 5,208 |
| 10. Sonoma | 5,071 |
Currently, more than 1.37 million qualified customers throughout Northern and Central California are enrolled in CARE. PG&E has helped customers save more than $9.6 billion on their energy bills through the program.
Customers can apply for CARE online or via paper applications that are available through numerous community agencies throughout PG&E's service area. Applying is easy and only takes about five minutes. If they qualify, customers will begin receiving the CARE program discount within their next billing cycle.
Every year, the California Public Utilities Commission adjusts the maximum qualifying income levels for CARE to reflect changes in the federal poverty guidelines. CARE is funded through a rate surcharge paid by all utility customers.
CARE Income Guidelines*
| Household Size | Income Eligibility Upper Limit |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | $33,820 |
| 3 | $42,660 |
| 4 | $51,500 |
| 5 | $60,340 |
| 6 | $69,180 |
| 7 | $78,020 |
| 8 | $86,860 |
| Each additional person add | $8,840 |
* Effective through May 31, 2020
To learn more about the CARE Program, visit www.pge.com/care.
For customers already participating in the CARE program, the Energy Savings Assistance Program provides additional savings by offering free energy-saving improvements to maximize energy efficiency in their home. To learn more about the Energy Savings Assistance Program, visit www.pge.com/energysavings.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation(NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com/ and pge.com/news.
Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
