SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diegans will soon get some relief on their gas and electric bills.
In a meeting Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission, which oversees all of the state’s utilities, voted to roll out Climate Credits now, instead of in April.
“December saw one of the highest natural gas price spikes in recent memory. This price volatility is another excellent reminder of the urgent need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels in our homes and energy system,” said Commissioner Darcie L. Houck in a press release. “I am proud of the many staff who worked extra hours to quickly approve nearly $1.3 billion in customer bill relief. We expect the utilities to process this relief as expeditiously as possible.”
The decision comes amid outrage and frustration from customers over the recent surge in their bills.
"I can afford the bill, but I was just outraged that they upped it so much with very little notice," Lorraine Perrino said.
Perrino, who's a senior citizen living on a low income, said her bill went from $28 in November to $190 last month.
SDG&E’s residential gas customers will see a $43.40 credit on their February bill. Electric customers will see a $60.70 credit on their March bill.
Customers who have both gas and electric service will see a total of about $104 in bill credit on their February and March SDG&E statements.
"Absolutely, it'll help, and hopefully, it'll help everybody out there in my age range," Perrino said.
The commission also said it understands that the credit isn't enough to mitigate the spike in natural gas prices. The commission will hold a meeting next Tuesday, Feb. 7, to discuss the issue in-depth, as well as possible solutions.
