UCAN Supports Emergency Winter 2023 Bill Relief

by | Feb 10, 2023 | Energy, Proceedings

On January 17, 2023, UCAN filed a response with the California Public Utilities Commission supporting a motion made by the Public Advocates Office (Cal Advocates) for Winter Bill Relief. In the motion, UCAN supported the request from Cal Advocates that SDG&E, PG&E and SoCalGas accelerate the available Climate Credits for customers to January 2023 instead of April2023. SDG&E customers had been informed that the cost per unit of natural gas (known as as therm) had more than doubled increasing from $2.36 per therm in January 2022 to $5.11 per therm in January 2023 [1] and began receiving extremely high gas bills in January. [2] On February 2, the Commission issued a decision that modified the disbursement schedules for the 2023 Climate Credits and ordered SDG&E and the other utilities to issue the credits as soon as possible. SDG&E customers should see a $43 credit in the February gas bills and another credit in their electricity bills in March. [3]

 

[1] https://www.sdge.com/rates/why-did-my-energy-bill-recently-go

[2] https://www.kpbs.org/news/local/2023/01/23/high-san-diego-utility-bills-could-not-come-at-a-worse-time

[3] https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/rushed-climate-credits-will-give-sdge-natural-gas-customers-ome-relief-after-big-bills/3158318/

Jason Zeller has over thirty years of professional experience in public utility regulation, including experience in all of the industries regulated by the CPUC. Previously he served as an Assistant General Counsel at the Commission for twelve years and was a staff counsel for six years. Jason is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College and New York Law School. He also holds a Master’s in Urban Affairs and Policy Analysis from The New School. He is an active member of the California State Bar Association.