Help for Electricity Bill Debts Incurred During Pandemic Coming to Eligible SCE Customers

Rhea-AI Summary

Southern California Edison is providing $205 million in relief to around 260,000 residential customers with past-due balances from March 4, 2020 to June 15, 2021. Customers will receive one-time credits on their February or March bills, funding through the California Arrearage Payment Program, which utilizes federal resources from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Customers with balances over 60 days past due are automatically enrolled in 24-month payment plans, with additional assistance options available.

Positive

• Distribution of $205 million in relief to 260,000 customers aids financial recovery.
• Funding sourced from the federal American Rescue Plan Act supports customer relief.
• Automatic enrollment in payment plans for customers with significant past-due balances.

Negative

• None.

Latest of several assistance efforts to help customers impacted during COVID-19 crisis

ROSEMEAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Southern California Edison is distributing $205 million in relief to help customers with past-due balances accrued between March 4, 2020 – the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic – through June 15, 2021. About 260,000 eligible SCE residential customers, including those enrolled in Community Choice Aggregators, will receive one-time credits on their February or March bills to partially reduce their past-due balances. No customer action is required.

The funds being distributed to customers represent SCE’s allocation from the California Arrearage Payment Program (CAPP), which is providing about $1 billion in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to help with past-due energy bills. The program is administered by the state’s Department of Community Services and Development (CSD).

SCE customers receiving the debt relief have balances 60 or more days past due that were accrued fully or partly during the CSD’s designated COVID-19 pandemic bill relief period. Bill credit amounts differ for each recipient and were determined using CSD guidelines.

“We are pleased to provide this help for SCE customers struggling with their electric bills,” said Lisa D. Cagnolatti, SCE’s senior vice president of Customer Service. “Many of our customers and communities continue to face hardships during the pandemic. SCE is here to help them with a range of programs and services, whether they need short-term or longer-term assistance.”

Since Sept. 30, SCE’s Pandemic Debt Relief Program automatically enrolls residential customers with balances 60 or more days past due into 24-month payment arrangements, so they can pay off their balances over time.

CAPP-funded debt relief and SCE’s Pandemic Debt Relief Program are among the many ways SCE customers can get help with their bills. Other assistance options include:

• Income-qualified programs, specifically the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) that provide monthly bill discounts of 30% and 18%, respectively.
• One-time grants for income-qualified customers of up to $100; $200 for all-electric homes (Energy Assistance Fund).
• Assistance for customers requiring electrically powered medical equipment or qualifying devices (Medical Baseline Allowance).
• Debt forgiveness of up to $8,000 for income-qualified residential customers (Arrearage Management Program).
• Rebates and incentives on energy-efficient products and services for business customers provided by authorized third-party vendors, including discounts for commercial and industrial lighting upgrades, foodservice and HVAC equipment and more.
• An easy-to-use tool that tracks energy usage in near real time and sends alerts when usage approaches a customer’s preselected spending goal (Budget Assistant).
• An option for eligible customers to split the cost of annual electricity service into equal monthly payments (Budget Billing Plan).
• Twelve-month payment arrangements or payment extensions of up to 30 days for eligible customers upon request.

Customers receiving a CAPP benefit will get a notification letter from SCE by U.S. mail, and a printed message will appear on their billing statement indicating the payment was applied to their account.

For more information on SCE’s pandemic debt relief and other payment assistance options, visit sce.com/findsupport. For more information about CAPP, please visit csd.ca.gov/Pages/CAPP.aspx.

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE: EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of approximately 15 million via 5 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

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Media Contact: Media Relations, (626) 302-2255

 

Source: Southern California Edison

FAQ

What is the purpose of Southern California Edison's $205 million relief effort for customers?

The relief aims to assist approximately 260,000 customers with past-due electric bills accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How will eligible customers receive their debt relief from Southern California Edison?

Eligible customers will receive one-time credits on their February or March bills without needing to take any action.

What program funds the debt relief provided by Southern California Edison?

The relief is funded through the California Arrearage Payment Program, utilizing federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

What are the requirements for customers to qualify for the $205 million relief from Southern California Edison?

Customers must have balances that are 60 or more days past due that were accrued during the designated COVID-19 pandemic bill relief period.

When will customers be notified about the debt relief from Southern California Edison?

Customers receiving the relief will be notified by U.S. mail and will see a message on their billing statements.