PG&E bills to rise amid fire upgrades

PG&E customers can expect an increase in their monthly bills during January, partly to help finance wide-ranging upgrades to PG&E’s electricity system, according to the utility.

Monthly bills for the typical PG& E customer who receives both electricity and gas services from the utility are rising by an average of $5.15 a month, effective Jan. 1, the company said.

PG& E noted that the revenue from the increase in monthly bills isn’t being used to bankroll an array of financial obligations incurred by the utility as a result of the conclusion of its bankruptcy filing.

Electricity bills are rising by an average of $6.13 a month for the typical customer, while gas bills will decrease by 98 cents a month for the typical ratepayer, according to estimates provided to this news organization by PG&E.

The changes mean the monthly PG& E bill for electricity and gas services combined will be an average of $186.67 starting in January compared with the average as of October of $181.52 a month, according to the utility.

The monthly PG&E bill for electricity services will average $133.84 a month, up from the October level of $127.71, PG&E said.

Gas bills will average $52.83 a month starting in January, down from $53.81 in October, PG& E estimated.

“The electricity revenue is being used for past, present, and planned safety work, including wildfire mitigation and hardening the electric system,” said Lynsey Paulo, a spokesperson for PG& E. “We are trying to reduce the chance of catastrophic wildfires.”