PG&E to Provide Bill Credit to 3 Million Customers

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 21, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- PCG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Thanks to lower fuel costs, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced that more than 3 million of its electric customers will receive a one-time credit on their November or December bill. PG&E will refund a total of more than $400 million to customers, as approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

"This refund, as well as the company's current portfolio of energy savings and assistance programs, will help customers reduce their energy costs," said Helen Burt, senior vice president and Chief Customer Officer for PG&E. "Whether passing along lower natural gas prices or offering advice and incentives for ways to use energy more efficiently, PG&E is helping residential and business customers realize the financial and environmental benefits."

Electric rates are set every year based on market forecasts. If electricity costs are lower than forecast, as happened this year because of falling natural gas prices, PG&E refunds the difference to customers. Normally, the refund would be spread out over the following year, but because of the tough economy, PG&E asked the CPUC in July to provide customers with a bill credit before the end of the year and was granted permission this month.

The size of the refund will depend on a customer's usage and location. For example, a typical residential customer in Stockton using 850 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month will receive a credit of about $71. A typical residential customer in Stockton using 1,500 kWh per month will receive a credit of about $239. Residential customers with relatively low usage (defined as less than 131% of baseline usage for their area) and CARE customers, were protected from the rate impact of the 2009 energy-cost forecast and therefore will not receive a credit.

In addition to the one-time bill credit, PG&E offers a menu of energy efficiency, information and customer assistance programs as part of the utility's comprehensive plan to help its customers better manage their energy usage and power costs. Some of PG&E's more popular programs include:

    --  Rebates and tax credits for investing in a wide range of energy
        efficient appliances and other energy saving technologies, such as
        ENERGY STAR-qualified room air conditioners and refrigerators, wall
        insulation and compact fluorescent lamps;
    --  SmartEnergy Analyzer(TM), an online analysis tool for evaluating your
        energy use, which provides advice for translating customer action into
        savings;
    --  Winter Gas Savings Program will give qualifying residential and business
        customers a credit of up to 20 percent on their natural gas bill for
        simply reducing natural gas usage during January and February;
    --  PeakChoice(TM) provides financial incentives to businesses for reducing
        their energy usage;
    --  Energy Partners provide income-qualified customers free energy
        education, weatherization measures and energy-efficient appliances to
        reduce gas and  electric usage;
    --  CARE (California Alternate Rates for Energy) provides a monthly discount
        on energy bills for income-qualified households and housing facilities;
    --  FERA (Family Electric Rate Assistance) provides a monthly discount on
        electric bills for income-qualified households of three or more persons;
    --  REACH (Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help) provides
        emergency energy assistance to low-income families who are in jeopardy
        of losing their electricity services; and

    --  LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance) provides financial grants to
        people who need help paying their utility bills.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/about/. For more information about PG&E's many energy savings programs, visit http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/.

SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company

http://www.pge.com

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