Understanding PGE/SVCE electricity bills/TrueUP

[getakey]

The PSPS events were PG&E induced events because they were scared that the lacked of maintenance on the lines over years and high winds would create new wildfires so they turned off large sections of the grid. They also used the grid being down to do other checks while the power was off. I think I lost power (pre-solar+ESS installation) for about 10 hours on one day.

I hate articles like the one that you linked to as there isn't enough information in there to form a real opinion. CEC, CPUC and CAISO thinks that there will be a short fall of 1700 MW over the year. What does that mean? Should I be afraid? I don't know as there is no context or any information like they expect that there will be 4, 5, 10, 30 days were demand will exceed supply for 1, 2, 3, 8 hours. Looking at CAISO for today the demand is expected to peak at 27.7 MW and the capacity is 42.3MW. The worst case demand was 50.3 MW on 7/26/2006, so does that mean we are looking at a 8000 MW shortfall? Mostly fear mongering to explain why costs are going to go up 4-9% a year from now on.

I agree that the article lacks a lot of detail. I suspect many more PSPS events than capacity shortfalls this summer

 

[Redhill_qik]

I agree that the article lacks a lot of detail. I suspect many more PSPS events than capacity shortfalls this summer

It is one of the reasons why I went Solar+ESS in 2020. They moved some of the last above ground wires underground in my neighborhood since then, so if the PSPS events happen again I don't think my grid segment will be impact, but if it is then I shouldn't notice it unless it happens in Dec/Jan.

 

[miimura]

There is a new line item on the PG&E blue bill this month, a "CPUC Mandated Electric Credit" and instead of it actually being a credit they are sending a check at least for me.

The explanation is that PG&E did something wrong with the PSPS, Public Safety Power Shutoff, events in 2019 and were ordered to compensate customers. Then there was a lot of back-and-forth between PG&E, advocacy groups and the CPUC with the credit/checks going out with the April bill. You can read all of the gory details here: https://www.pge.com/tariffs/assets/pdf/adviceletter/ELEC_6399-E.pdf There is an even a bit about if customers don't cash the checks, PG&E has to try and track them down and if they fail then it escheats to the state (see SCO | Unclaimed Property)

I'm sorry, but sending a check for six dollars and change to someone that has an open account is complete nonsense. It's less than the minimum residential charges! Now, if people want to demand sending checks to people that were affected but no longer have an account, by all means, do that. Force PG&E to track all those people down too.

 

[getakey]

I'm sorry, but sending a check for six dollars and change to someone that has an open account is complete nonsense. It's less than the minimum residential charges! Now, if people want to demand sending checks to people that were affected but no longer have an account, by all means, do that. Force PG&E to track all those people down too.

agree. Every company tries to reduce the expense of printing paper except PG&E I guess. More waste

 

[Redhill_qik]

agree. Every company tries to reduce the expense of printing paper except PG&E I guess. More waste

I think they were trying to hold on to the cash for a longer period of time or at least the letter implies that and mailing out checks will do that and then a lot of people won't do anything with them and then can hold on to cash for a year until they need to escheat it to the California unclaimed property department.

If they were concerned about saving on costs then they would make it easy to opt out of the black bill. I spent 34 minutes on the phone with them a week ago to get the paper bill cancelled after someone posted the solar customer support number (1-877-743-4112). But really they aren't concerned about expenses as they operate with a fixed ROI, so every expense allows them to charge more for a larger profit. Send paper checks get more profit, send 14 page paper black bills get more profit, require customers to talk to someone to stop getting the paper bill get more profit. The operating model is ripe for abuse.

 

[getakey]

I think they were trying to hold on to the cash for a longer period of time or at least the letter implies that and mailing out checks will do that and then a lot of people won't do anything with them and then can hold on to cash for a year until they need to escheat it to the California unclaimed property department.

If they were concerned about saving on costs then they would make it easy to opt out of the black bill. I spent 34 minutes on the phone with them a week ago to get the paper bill cancelled after someone posted the solar customer support number (1-877-743-4112). But really they aren't concerned about expenses as they operate with a fixed ROI, so every expense allows them to charge more for a larger profit. Send paper checks get more profit, send 14 page paper black bills get more profit, require customers to talk to someone to stop getting the paper bill get more profit. The operating model is ripe for abuse.

hit the nail on the head

 

[getakey]

Normally I get my bill on the 23 or 24th of the month and it is due on the 19th of the next month. I have not received a bill since March 23. I was switched to a CCA at that time without my knowledge. I called last month to get switched back. Supposedly my payment is due in 5 days, but no bill (online or in mail). You'd think I would at least have received the gas portion of the bill

 

[SMAlset]

Last year our true up with SVCE was less than the amt required to remit a check so it was rolled into this year’s true up and we just got our check, $347.93. Check dated 5/10. It was mailed in an envelope from Bill.com in Santa Clara and marked Payment Enclosed, so look for it if your expecting a check. Been loving our daily solar generation lately (53-55kWhs) with our 8.16kW panels.

Here’s part of the accompanying letter attached to the check.

 

[SMAlset]

BTW we received an annual Calif Climate Credit on our recent PG&E bill for both electricity and gas in the total amount of $174.26 and after applied we had a bill of under $9 to pay.

On that bill it also showed the CPUC Mandated Electric Credit of $6.29 and stated check issued of $6.29. We scratched our heads on that too. Haven’t received the check so far.

 

[Redhill_qik]

BTW we received an annual Calif Climate Credit on our recent PG&E bill for both electricity and gas in the total amount of $174.26 and after applied we had a bill of under $9 to pay.

You had total climate credits of $174.65? The credits were $39.30 for electric $47.83 for gas for a total of $87.13. Do you have multiple accounts?

On that bill it also showed the CPUC Mandated Electric Credit of $6.29 and stated check issued of $6.29. We scratched our heads on that too. Haven’t received the check so far.

Previously discussed - Understanding PGE/SVCE electricity bills/TrueUP

 

[SMAlset]

You had total climate credits of $174.65? The credits were $39.30 for electric $47.83 for gas for a total of $87.13. Do you have multiple accounts?

YES.

Previously discussed - Understanding PGE/SVCE electricity bills/TrueUP

I saw that before I posted. As mentioned we just got our true-up check from SVCE but still waiting for our whopping $6.29 check. Has anyone received this yet?

 

[getakey]

Normally I get my bill on the 23 or 24th of the month and it is due on the 19th of the next month. I have not received a bill since March 23. I was switched to a CCA at that time without my knowledge. I called last month to get switched back. Supposedly my payment is due in 5 days, but no bill (online or in mail). You'd think I would at least have received the gas portion of the bill

Still no Bill, but I received a letter today stating that they were having trouble generating my bill. Duh. They also say that they will give me plenty of time to pay once I get the Bill.

 

[getakey]

Finally got my blue bill for 3/19 thru 4/21, but no B&W yet. However, the bill only has gas charges. The only electric "charge" is $6.29 credit for the CPUC mandate.

 

[vvuk]

As expected, super confused by the black annual true-up bill. We have a CCA that does monthly true-up on generation. Our PG&E true-up is $2867, with major components and some questions:

$ 518 comp type: TRANS
$1295 DIST

What does PG&E bill distribution/transmission on? Purely on energy imports? Or somehow based on consumption? Or import + export?

$ 329 PPP

This is "Gas Public Purpose Program (PPP) Surcharge" -- but we're not a gas customer? What is this for?

$110 CAB-CCA
$552 VPC-CCA

What are VPC/CAB? I may need to dig through this thread to figure out what they are because google is no help...

 

[Redhill_qik]

I saw that before I posted. As mentioned we just got our true-up check from SVCE but still waiting for our whopping $6.29 check. Has anyone received this yet?

Just got my $6.29 check. Not sure when it arrived as I was out of town, but within the last seven days. It came in brown envelope with a PG&E return address and not bill.com. The date on the check was 4/29 which is well before it was actual cut/sent.

 

[getakey]

Just got my $6.29 check. Not sure when it arrived as I was out of town, but within the last seven days. It came in brown envelope with a PG&E return address and not bill.com. The date on the check was 4/29 which is well before it was actual cut/sent.

got mine too. Why is it that we get a paper check instead of just a credit on our bill?

Speaking of bills, I still have not received any electric bill for service after 3/28. That is the date I got converted to a CCA. In the meantime, I called to opt out.
No bill, nothing. Should have had 2 bills by now

 

[Redhill_qik]

got mine too. Why is it that we get a paper check instead of just a credit on our bill?

Speaking of bills, I still have not received any electric bill for service after 3/28. That is the date I got converted to a CCA. In the meantime, I called to opt out.
No bill, nothing. Should have had 2 bills by now

The speculation on the paper check instead of a bill credit was that they either wanted to hold on to the money for a year if people didn't cash them or that since this needed to go to the original account holder that was affected during the outage that sending checks was the easiest way to do it.

Don't understand why you want to opt out of the CCA and back to PG&E, the CCA generation charges are lower than PG&Es and if you are a net producer then they usually pay more than PG&E NSC rates.

 

[getakey]

The speculation on the paper check instead of a bill credit was that they either wanted to hold on to the money for a year if people didn't cash them or that since this needed to go to the original account holder that was affected during the outage that sending checks was the easiest way to do it.

Don't understand why you want to opt out of the CCA and back to PG&E, the CCA generation charges are lower than PG&Es and if you are a net producer then they usually pay more than PG&E NSC rates.

My true-up NEM is zero, but I'm a net consumer so there is no incentive to change. Further, I do not trust this CCA -- Pioneer and I don't think the business model for CCAs work in the long run. I'd rather try to clean up PG&E however impossible that task may be

 

[miimura]

Pioneer is the only CCA I would recommend people Opt-Out from.

 

[Redhill_qik]

Pioneer is the only CCA I would recommend people Opt-Out from.

Why?