PG&E customers seek help navigating higher bills: United Way
Demonstrators criticized the CPUC and PG&E for rising rates: Electric bills have already doubled in the last five years. July 22, 2024
SAN FRANCISCO - United Way Bay Area is used to residents calling the agency's 211 helpline for help with food, shelter and other basic needs.
But recently, CEO Kelly Batson and VP of Safety Net Services Laura Escobar said in a news release that rising PG&E rates are prompting calls from people who need help paying their utility bills more than ever before.
The California Public Utilities Commission indicated that PG&E monthly electric bills are expected to increase by 43% through 2027.
In April, PG&E said it would be raising its rates because of the costs the utility incurred to reduce wildfire risk and modernize the resiliency of its electric systems.
In 2022, calls for utility assistance represented only 7% of all calls made to 211, according to United Way.
In 2023, utility assistance calls represented 12.2% of all calls made to 211, becoming the third most common reason Bay Area neighbors contacted 211, just behind calls for housing and food related assistance, according to United Way.
"For the 1 in 4 Bay Area residents already struggling to make ends meet, the Public Utilities Commission report findings are devastating," Batson said in a statement released Monday. "Rising utility costs, along with rising costs of healthcare, housing, food, and childcare are outpacing earnings, disproportionately impacting low-income families and further entrenching them in poverty."
For more information on how to call 211, click here.