If you’re staying home to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, you're probably using more energy than usual, especially with the recent cold weather.
Well, your next power or gas bill should have a credit in it to reduce the sticker shock when it arrives.
It’s called the California Climate Credit. It’s not new — gas and power companies regulated by the state Public Utilities Commission have been applying the annual credit to your bills for years.
But this year, the PUC is speeding up the payments due to the coronavirus.
It told Southern California Edison and SoCal Gas to tell their customers the credit can help offset the higher bills people may be getting as they use more heat, gas and power while staying home.
The credit from SoCal Gas is $26 dollars. It should show up on your April bill.
The Southern California Edison credit is $74 dollars. You’ll see half of it — $37 dollars — in your April bill.
Under normal circumstances, Edison would pay the second half in October.
The PUC, however, directed Edison to pay the rest over May and June to get the credit to consumers sooner.
But Edison asked to pay the remainder a few months later, citing operational challenges. A hearing on that later schedule is set for April 16.
