Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

3 hours ago

US House Republicans Head Toward Final Vote on Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut Bill

4 hours ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

4 hours ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

5 hours ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

5 hours ago

Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.

1 day ago

Ukraine Voices Concern as US Halts Some Missile Shipments

1 day ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

1 day ago
California Regulators OK Change of How Power Bills Are Calculated
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 1 year ago on
May 9, 2024

California regulators have approved a change in how power bills are calculated, which could lower costs for high energy users but increase prices for those who use less. (AP File)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

SACRAMENTO — California regulators on Thursday voted to change how some power companies calculate their customers’ bills, a decision that will make it less expensive for people to charge electric cars and cool their homes in the summer but will increase prices for those who don’t use as much energy.

Changes in Power Bill Calculation

The California Public Utilities Commission voted to let the state’s big investor-owned utilities — including Pacific Gas & Electric — add a fixed charge to people’s power bills each month. For most people, the charge will be $24.15 per month and it will pay for installing and maintaining the equipment necessary to transmit electricity to homes. Residents with lower incomes who are enrolled in one of two discount programs will pay less, either $6 or $12 per month.

In exchange for the new charge, the price of electricity will drop by between 5 cents and 7 cents per kilowatt hour. One kilowatt hour is how much power it takes to use a 1,000-watt appliance — a coffee maker or vacuum cleaner, for instance — for one hour.

Implementation of the New Charge

The change will take effect late next year for customers of Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric. It will take effect in early 2026 for Pacific Gas & Electric customers.

For people who use a lot of energy each month, this will lower their monthly bills. People who live in Fresno — where temperatures can often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) — would save about $33 running their air conditioners during the summer, according to the commission. That’s because the savings they get from the price drop on electricity will be more than the amount they pay for the new fixed charge.

It will also benefit people who own electric cars and use other electric appliances, such as heat pumps. They will save an average of between $28 and $44 per month, according to the commission. In 2022, California accounted for 37% of the nation’s light-duty electric vehicles, or about six times more than Florida, the state in second place, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“It provides affordability for lower-income Californians and those living in other parts of the state most impacted by extreme weather,” California Public Utilities Commission President Alice Busching Reynolds said.

Impact on Low Energy Users

For people who don’t use as much energy, the new fixed charge could increase their bill each month. This includes people who live in smaller apartments or who live in cooler areas and don’t use air conditioning as much. That’s because for them, the decrease in the price of electricity would not be enough to offset the amount of the new monthly charge.

Opponents argue it would act as a disincentive to conserve energy, something California has been urging people to do.

“If you wanted to design a policy instrument that would send the signal that conservation doesn’t count, this would be it,” said Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group.

Reaction to the New Charge

Most states already have fixed monthly charges on utility bills to pay for maintenance and infrastructure of the electric grid. But in California — where electric rates are among the highest in the nation — any move that could increase prices for anyone raises alarms among consumers and elected officials.

A group of 18 members of Congress from California have called on the commission to keep the rate low, noting the national average for fixed charges on utility bills is $11. Some Democrats and Republicans in the state Legislature have backed a bill that would cap the charge at $10 per month.

“We must do more to rein in the ever-growing cost of living in our state, not find new ways to add to it,” Republicans in the California Senate wrote in a letter urging the commission to reject the proposal.

The proposal is much lower than what the state’s investor-owned utility companies had asked for, which was a charge between $53 and $71 per month. The commission also argues the charge would not discourage conservation, noting utilities are already allowed to increase rates during peak hours.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

DON'T MISS

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

DON'T MISS

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

DON'T MISS

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

DON'T MISS

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

DON'T MISS

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

DON'T MISS

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

UP NEXT

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

UP NEXT

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

UP NEXT

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

UP NEXT

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

UP NEXT

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

UP NEXT

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

UP NEXT

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

UP NEXT

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

UP NEXT

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

UP NEXT

CIA Review Finds Flaws but Does Not Dispute Finding Putin Sought to Sway 2016 Vote to Trump

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

38 minutes ago

Presidential Election Reveals Big Shift in California Voting Patterns. Will It Last?

53 minutes ago

US-Backed 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire Envisages Gradual Return of Hostages, Official Says

54 minutes ago

After Record Democratic Speech, House Republicans Begin Final Vote on Trump Tax-Cut Bill

58 minutes ago

Stocks Hit Record, US Dollar Strengthens After Jobs Data

1 hour ago

Jeffries Sets Record for Floor Speech Before Vote on Trump Tax Bill

1 hour ago

Could Cuddly Colby Be the Darling Gem for You?

2 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Sandra Neredia Jaquez

2 hours ago

Trump Impounds Billions in Education Funding. For Fresno Unified, It’s $7.1 Million

2 hours ago

Trump Administration Will Focus on Fed Chair Replacement in Fall, Bessent Says

3 hours ago

Trump to Sign Bill on Friday at 5 p.m., White House Says

U.S. President Donald Trump will sign the massive tax-cut and spending bill he championed on Friday at 5 p.m., the White House said on Thurs...

9 minutes ago

U.S. President Donald Trump visits a temporary migrant detention center informally known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in Ochopee, Florida, U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 minutes ago

Trump to Sign Bill on Friday at 5 p.m., White House Says

Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaks, as he takes part in a meeting, during the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, in Seville, Spain, June 30, 2025. (Reuters File)
14 minutes ago

Colombia President Recalls Ambassador to US

A Riverdale High School coach and district employee was arrested for allegedly arranging to meet a minor for sexual purposes after investigators discovered explicit messages sent to a teenage student. (Fresno County SO)
24 minutes ago

Riverdale High School Coach Arrested for Allegedly Arranging to Meet Minor

President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 21, 2025, following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Pool
38 minutes ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

53 minutes ago

Presidential Election Reveals Big Shift in California Voting Patterns. Will It Last?

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military offensive, shelter in tents, in Gaza City, May 20, 2025. (Reuters File)
54 minutes ago

US-Backed 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire Envisages Gradual Return of Hostages, Official Says

FILE PHOTO: A view shows the dome of the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
58 minutes ago

After Record Democratic Speech, House Republicans Begin Final Vote on Trump Tax-Cut Bill

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., June 26, 2025. (Reuters File)
1 hour ago

Stocks Hit Record, US Dollar Strengthens After Jobs Data

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend