Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
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.
Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.
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