As the temperatures dip across the Bay Area, it’s going to cost more to turn up the thermostat after California regulators approved a rate hike for PG&E late last year.
In concrete terms, the average residential bill is now nearly $295 a month — an increase of $34.
One San Jose PG&E customer isn’t thrilled with the increase.
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“That’s basically an hour’s pay right there, you know. I’m working for them,” Thomas Kauss said. “It’s gotten ridiculous.”
Most of the recent pay hike will go toward reducing wildfire risk and improving infrastructure by undergrounding power lines in fire-prone areas.
But customers are also facing another proposed rate increase, meant to pay for last year’s storm damage.
If regulators approve that in March, the typical electric will go up another $14 to over $300 a month.
“I try not to use the heater as much as I can,” Kauss said. “I turn it down at night. But it’s been cold lately so the heater’s gone on.”
Some customers, like Aby Ryan, are playing much more. She saw her largest bill yet last month: $540.
“For it to just keep going up when it doesn’t seem like our paychecks are going up at the same rate, it just doesn’t seem sustainable,” Ryan said.
Her next bill will likely reach $600.
“Our paycheck is not just growing and growing. And people who live month-to-month, it's like — it's cold here,” Ryan said. "It’s been cold. We need our heat. I worry about people like my mom who is on a fixed income and she just doesn’t turn her heat on.”
PG&E has said it has several programs to help low-income families pay their utility bills. The company also said it plans to make an announcement Tuesday on expanding support for income-eligible customers.
