Californians can expect cheaper utility bills this summer, PG&E says

(FOX40.COM) — In response to the intense heat that has hit California in the early parts of summer, PG&E has announced it is reducing its rates to help customers save on their electricity bills.

Beginning on July 1, the utility said it is decreasing its rates by nearly 10% to provide financial relief to those who have to use more energy to cool their homes during the summer months.

Customers who receive energy supply and delivery from PG&E can expect a 9% decrease in their monthly bill; meanwhile, customers who receive their energy through a “ Community Choice Aggregation ” program will notice a 7% decrease in their bill, PG&E said.

Vincent Davis, the senior vice president of customer experience for the utility, said, “We are always looking for ways we can help make energy service more affordable for customers.”

He continued, “This is a temporary rate change, but we know it is coming at the right time, especially for customers who live in hotter climates and have higher bills during the summer months.”

Aaron Johnson, PG&E’s senior vice president of local customer engagement, added at a customer event held on Wednesday that he’s heard from various customers, including his own family , about how high utility bills have been, and hopes the temporary reduction will help struggling customers.

“We are able to make this reduction because we’ve finished paying off some costs from the past that came from wildfire protection and prevention, as well as rebuilding infrastructure in communities that have been affected by wildfires,” Johnson said. “We want to pass those savings on to customers.”

Johnson went on to explain a few of the other ways PG&E is working to lower prices for customers, saying that the utility has saved around $300 million in vegetation management costs by reducing costs of tree-trimming, $68 million from new construction methods to its program that puts powerlines underground, and has worked with California and established an alternative to insurance that is expected to save customers nearly $2 billion over four years.

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