PG&E Commits $50 Million to Expand Bill Relief for Customers with Past-Due Energy Bills
New PG&E Program Provides Matching Bill Credits of up to $1,000 for Eligible Customers
OAKLAND, Calif., July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is committing $50 million to new and existing financial assistance programs to support eligible customers with paying past-due energy bills. These programs include PG&E's new Match My Payment Program and the existing PG&E Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH) program.
The new PG&E Match My Payment Program offers a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $1,000, for qualifying low-to moderate-income customers to pay past-due bills to prevent service disconnections.
Qualifying customers may receive matching payments from PG&E for multiple bill payments throughout the year, up to a maximum match of $1,000. For example, a past-due customer can apply for support in June and continue the program in October if they fall behind on bills again. The program is scheduled to end December 31, 2025.
Eligibility is based on federal income guidelines. For example, a family of four making less than $128,600 a year could qualify for assistance. This is significantly higher than the current limit of $62,400 for a family of the same size under the PG&E REACH program. Application information can be found here.
Applicants are required to pay at least $50 toward their outstanding balance each time to receive matching funds. A minimum past due balance of $100 is required to apply.
PG&E estimates approximately 400,000 customers may qualify for assistance through the Match My Payment Program. Funding is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on available resources.
"Our Match My Payment Program is designed to make sure more families receive support when they need it most, especially during the summer months when energy bills can peak," said Vincent Davis, PG&E Senior Vice President, Customer Experience. "We encourage customers to check their eligibility and apply for the available assistance."
Support also Available through PG&E REACH Program
Customers may also be eligible for bill assistance through the PG&E REACH program, which provides income-eligible customers with a bill credit of up to $300 based on the past-due bill. Emergency assistance is available this year for customers with a disconnection notice. Income levels are lower than the PG&E Match My Payment Program.
Qualifying customers who have already received a $300 grant from PG&E's REACH program in 2025 are pre-qualified for up to $1,000 from PG&E's Match My Payment Program, with a combined maximum benefit of up to $1,300 on a past due amount.
In 2024, nearly 58,000 PG&E customers received more than $50 million in total assistance from the PG&E REACH program. The record assistance was distributed after PG&E increased benefits to qualifying customers last year.
PG&E contracts with the nonprofit Dollar Energy Fund (DEF) to process customers' applications for program funding.
Additional funding for PG&E's Match My Payment, REACH, and other bill relief programs will be regularly evaluated throughout the year to ensure resources are allocated effectively to meet customers' needs.
Stabilizing Customer Bills
PG&E forecasts no additional electric rate changes for the rest of 2025. The company expects residential combined gas and electric bills to be essentially flat for the rest of 2025 and go down in 2026.
Even though bills are stabilizing, customers may see higher bills during the summer months when they use more energy to cool their homes and businesses.
Other Income-eligible Assistance Programs
PG&E has other assistance programs to help income-eligible customers pay their energy bills:
- California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE): provides a monthly discount of 20% or more on gas and an average of 35% on electricity (compared to non-CARE bundled customers).
- Family Electric Rate Assistance Program (FERA): new eligibility guidelines provide a monthly discount of 18% on electricity, regardless of household size.
- Energy Savings Assistance Program (ESA): provides energy-savings improvements at no charge.
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): a federally-funded assistance program overseen by the state that offers a one-time payment up to $1,500 on past due bills to help low-income households pay for heating or cooling in their homes. Payments may vary by location and funding availability.
- Arrearage Management Plan (AMP): a debt forgiveness plan for eligible residential customers.
Other programs include Medical Baseline, which offers a reduction on energy bills for customers who depend on power for certain medical needs.
To learn more about PG&E's assistance programs, use a new Savings Finder tool or visit pge.com/billhelp.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than sixteen million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news
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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company