PG&E hikes rebuilding support for customers in wildfire-hit customers

AP PHOTO

SAN FRANCISCO —  No-cost installation and removal of temporary electric service to eligible customers rebuilding after the devastating October 2017 wildfires are available from PG&E. Adding to PG&E’s existing support for affected customers, this offer aims to assist customers who have lost their homes and businesses.

Through December 31, 2018, PG&E will provide no-cost installation and removal of temporary electric service for customers’ rebuilding efforts across Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Solano, Sonoma and Yuba counties. Customers should call PG&E’s Building Renovation Service Center at 1-877-743-7782 as they create their rebuilding plans to confirm eligibility and initiate the process with PG&E.

“We’ve been a part of these impacted communities for decades. We will be here to support our customers and these communities throughout the rebuilding process. We strongly support the Commission’s approval to allow us to offer these no-cost solutions that will enable our customers to focus on their families and their futures,” said Laurie Giammona, PG&E’s Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer.

On October 25, PG&E submitted a formal request to the CPUC to waive the electric service costs. The company received approval on November 9 to temporarily waive the regulatory requirement to charge impacted customers for electric service related to wildfire reconstruction. The recorded costs will be addressed in PG&E’s upcoming Catastrophic Events Memorandum Account filing.

PG&E has already taken a number of actions to support customers affected by the wildfires, including:

• Temporarily suspending bills for impacted customers as part of its billing and credit policy that temporarily stops bills during and after a disaster.
• Offering deposit relief for customers who lost their homes by returning deposits on accounts, if applicable, and not charging a new deposit for up to one year. This policy will be in effect for customers directly impacted by these wildfires.
• Protecting customers from collections action for one year, if the customer has a loss of property.
• Providing customers with flexible, reasonable payment arrangements.
• Extending additional support for its low-income customers.
• Cutting down and hauling wood debris from eligible customers’ properties in wildfire-impacted areas at no-cost. Customers who would like to opt into this program can call 1-800-743-5000 to schedule an inspection.
• Setting up in-person and online services for customers to initiate and track new service installations, temporary construction electric service and other PG&E support through com/cco.

To learn more about how PG&E is supporting wildfire-impacted communities, customers can go online, call its Building Renovation Service Center at 1-877-743-7782, or meet one-on-one with a PG&E representative during business hours in the following PG&E offices:

• 3965 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95407
  1850 Soscol Ave., Suite 105, Napa, CA 94559
  2641 N. State St., Ukiah, CA 95482