California regulators approve two more requests by PG&E to increase rates
SACRAMENTO – California regulators approved two more rate hike requests by Pacific Gas and Electric Thursday night, making it six this year.
"PG&E is working to stabilize bills and limit average annual combined gas and electric bill increases to no more than 2-4% through 2026," PG&E said in a statement.
Mark Toney is the executive director of The Utility Reform Network, a PG&E watchdog.
"People are paying an average of $60 more a month than last year a month," Toney said. "Right now, we have a broken system that we need to fix, there are no limits to how much PG&E can ask for, no limits to how many times a year."
The average PG&E bill is up 56 percent in the past three years, according to the California Public Utility Commission.
The two new rate increases are to pay for the extended use of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant and for vegetation maintenance.
One rate increase will go into effect next year and the other in 2026.
Thursday's approval also comes on the heels of the Biden administration committing to providing PG&E with a $15 billion loan for infrastructure improvements.
Calls for help paying PG&E bill
It also comes as one local charity says they are getting more requests from people to help pay their PG&E bills.
Ben Chavez has volunteered at Saint Vincent de Paul in West Sacramento for a decade.
Besides food and clothing donations this holiday season, he's getting a different call for help, asking for assistance to pay rising PG&E bills.
"I'm going to say that the calls are tripling or quadrupling," Chavez said.
Johnny Ortiz says Saint Vincent DePaul helped him keep his family's power on. His mother is on a heart monitor 24 hours a day.
"It's way too expensive especially when someone that is low income is helping out their mother," Ortiz said.
"I feel sad and then also I feel angry too because I don't like people suffering I don't like seeing them go through that," Chavez said.
A PG&E affordability crisis is leaving customers turning to charities to make their payments.
