Assistance available to EBCE and PG&E customers behind on their bills
East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) residential customers who are behind on their bills can take advantage of a new statewide program aimed at helping relieve their debt.
Through the program, each on-time payment of future bills earns customers forgiveness on one-twelfth (1/12) of their total eligible debt. In other words, one year of on-time payments could equal complete forgiveness on eligible debt up to $8,000.
To be eligible for the debt assistance program, known as the Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) program, customers must be enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) financial assistance programs. The CARE program provides low-income EBCE and PG&E customers a 35 percent discount on their electric bill and a 20 percent discount on their natural gas bill. To learn if you qualify for the CARE Program and how to enroll, click here. The FERA program provides an 18 percent discount to income-qualified households of three or more persons. For more information on FERA, as well as other energy bill discount programs, visit https://ebce.org/paying-bills/.
Customers enrolled in CARE or FERA are eligible to participate in the AMP program if they also meet the following criteria:
- Owe at least $500 on their gas and electric bill
- Have some debt that is more than 90 days past due
- Have been a PG&E and/or EBCE customer for at least six months, and have made at least one on-time payment
PG&E is managing this program for both PG&E and EBCE customers. To learn more and enroll, speak with a PG&E customer service representative at (800) 743-5000 or visit www.pge.com/amp.
