SAN FRANCISCO -- (Business Wire)
Please replace the release with the following corrected version due to
multiple revisions.
The corrected release reads:
PG&E SUPPORTS CUSTOMERS IMPACTED BY OCTOBER 2017 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
WILDFIRES - UPDATED
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) outlined today a series of
billing and service modifications and disaster relief and rebuilding
policies to support customers recovering from the immediate aftermath of
the October 2017 Northern California Wildfires.
“At PG&E, our thoughts and prayers are with our customers and
communities that have been impacted by these extraordinary wildfires. We
realize this is a very difficult time for everyone and we want to
help. With that, we are further enhancing our standing disaster billing
and credit policies to allow our customers to focus on their families
and futures. We will be with our customers every step of the way,
towards rebuilding the communities that we are privileged to serve,”
said Deborah Affonsa, PG&E’s vice president of Customer Service.
PG&E Disaster Billing and Credit Policy
PG&E has a comprehensive disaster billing and credit policy in place
that temporarily creates a billing hold, stopping bills during and after
a disaster. Under the policy, the company will not disconnect any
customers within the disaster area for non-payment during the period of
the emergency. PG&E will offer deposit relief for red tag customers by
returning deposits on accounts, if applicable and will not charge a new
deposit for up to one year. This policy will be in effect for customers
directly impacted by these wildfires.
In activating this policy in response to the October 2017 Northern
California Wildfires, PG&E has:
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Suspended all collections actions at the onset of the wildfires for
all customers, both residential and commercial, within the impacted
communities and beyond for those impacted by poor air quality.
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Suspended disconnections for non-payment through the end of the year,
with sensitivities to the needs of individual communities.
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Waived account re-establishment deposits for affected customers.
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Continued working with customers to provide flexible, reasonable
payment arrangements as needed.
PG&E has filed a request to the CPUC, by Advice
Letter, to temporarily waive the cost of installation and removal of
service extensions for temporary power under Electric Rule 13 for those
customers who are rebuilding.
In order to support low-income customers impacted by the October 2017
Northern California Wildfires:
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PG&E will extend all California Alternative Rate for Energy (CARE)
eligibility by 12 months in impacted counties. Approximately 42,000
customers will have their CARE eligibility extended into 2019.
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PG&E is freezing all standard and high-usage Post Enrollment
Verification (PEV) requests in impacted counties until at least Dec.
31, 2017 and will revisit extending this freeze.
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Contacted nine Community Outreach Contractors, the community-based
organizations who assist in enrolling hard-to-reach CARE customers, in
impacted counties and sent information earlier this month on freezing
standard and high-usage PEVs. Follow-up calls will be made to
organizations as necessary.
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Partnered with the Salvation Army, the administrator of Relief for
Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH),
a PG&E- and customer-funded emergency assistance program, to request
increasing the assistance cap amount for the next 12 months for
impacted customers from $300 to $600.
Billing and Credit Collections in Wildfire Impacted Areas
For more information, please visit www.pge.com/wildfireresources
and click on Billing for Affected Customers. PG&E is continuing to work
across the company to review policies and procedures to ensure we are
supporting and providing relief to our customers who were impacted by
the 2017 Northern California wildfires. Customers can reach us any time
of day through our PG&E’s customer service helpline at 1-800-743-5000.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of
the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171027005768/en/
Contacts:
PG&E Corporation
Media Relations, 415-973-1558
Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
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