State Relief Program Erases $51.3 Million In Overdue SDG&E Utility Bills

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Around 113,000 San Diego Gas & Electric customers

with overdue bills incurred during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic

have automatically received debt relief through the California Arrearage

Payment Program, it was announced today.

Over the weekend, the CAPP erased a total of $51.3 million in overdue

balances SDG&E customers incurred between March 4, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2021, and

the amount forgiven will be reflected on the next billing statement. The CAPP

funds were applied automatically to customer accounts.

``In addition to the state's CAPP debt relief program, I want our

customers to know that there many other assistance programs available to

them,'' said Dana Golan, SDG&E vice president of customer services. ``We are

committed to helping our customers who are experiencing financial hardships due

to high winter energy bills.''

This is the second round of CAPP funding that SDG&E -- working in

collaboration with local Community Choice Aggregation programs -- has applied

for and secured from the state to assist their mutual customers, according to

an SDG&E statement.

The first round of funding was credited to more than 93,000 eligible

customers' accounts in February 2022, eliminating $62.5 million in overdue

bills incurred between March 4, 2020, and June 15, 2021.

To date, CAPP has provided a total of $113.8 million in debt relief to

customers 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

balance was $100, they would have received $100 to offset their outstanding

balances. SDG&E is notifying eligible customers via email and letters in the

mail, if the CAPP funds credited to their account are more than $10. A message

will also be included on eligible customers' bills to let them know that CAPP

funds have been applied to their accounts.

Last week, following news of natural gas prices skyrocketing and local

utility bills going up, SDG&E made $1 million in customer assistance

funding available for those experiencing financial hardship.

That assistance will be disbursed through the Neighbor-to-Neighbor

program, which provides up to $300 in one-time grants to help offset past-due

bills for SDG&E customers who need help paying bills and aren't eligible for

the federally funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

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