State Relief Program Erases $51.3 Million in Past Due SDG&E Utility Bills

On Tuesday, it was announced that approximately 113,000 San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) customers with delinquent bills received in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic have automatically received debt relief from the California Debt Repayment Program.

Over the weekend, CAPP erased a total of $51.3 million in SDG&E customer arrears incurred between March 4, 2020 and December 31, 2021, and the forgiven amount will be reflected in the next billing statement. CAPP funds were automatically applied to customer accounts.

“In addition to the government’s CAPP debt relief program, I want our clients to know that there are many other assistance programs available to them,” said Dana Golan, SDG&E vice president of client services. “We are committed to helping our customers who are experiencing financial hardship due to high winter energy bills.”

According to the SDG&E statement, this is the second round of CAPP funding that SDG&E – working in partnership with local community choice pooling programs – has applied for and received from the state to help its common clients.

The first round of funding was credited to more than 93,000 qualifying clients in February 2022, eliminating $62.5 million in delinquent accounts incurred between March 4, 2020 and June 15, 2021.

To date, CAPP has provided a total of $113.8 million in debt relief to clients served by SDG&E and local CCAs, including San Diego Community Power and Clean Energy Alliance.

According to the utility company, if an active customer’s outstanding debt was $100, they would receive $100 to offset their outstanding debt. SDG&E will notify eligible customers via email and mail if the CAPP funds credited to their account exceed $10. A message will also be included in eligible customers’ accounts informing them that CAPP funds have been credited to their accounts.

Last week, following news of skyrocketing natural gas prices and rising local utility bills, SDG&E provided $1 million in customer relief funding for those experiencing financial hardship.

This assistance will be paid through the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program, which provides one-time grants of up to $300 to offset overdue bills to SDG&E clients who need help paying their bills and who are not eligible for the Low-Eighbor program. financed from the federal budget. Home Energy Assistance Program.