Financial Assistance Programs
Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) provides carbon-free electricity at costs below PG&E rates to residents and businesses in 13 communities within Santa Clara County. SVCE partners with PG&E, meaning that PG&E still provides the same reliable electric and gas delivery and maintenance service, and still sends you a monthly energy bill.
Clean energy. Same financial assistance programs.
As an SVCE customer, your energy assistance programs remain the same and continue to apply to your monthly electricity bill, but with a greater discount as an added benefit of being an SVCE customer.
Through SVCE’s partnership with PG&E, new and existing SVCE customers still receive their discounts and can participate in financial assistance programs administered by PG&E.
Learn more and find out how to enroll in these programs for monthly bill assistance, one-time bill assistance and payment plans.
Arrearage Management Plan Program
In the pandemic, utilities have stopped disconnections for customers unable to pay their bills, but customers are still accruing debt. SVCE has joined a state program to provide bill relief to qualifying customers. The program will reduce unpaid balances on electricity bills that have accrued due to the pandemic. Arrearage Management Plan is a 12-month program that will provide up to $8,000 of bill forgiveness to each eligible customer.
To be eligible, customers must:
- Be enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) bill assistance programs and:
- Have been a PG&E electric distribution customer for a minimum of six months
- Made at least one on-time payment within 24 months
- Owe at least $500 on their electricity bill (or $250 for gas-only customers) for more than 90 days
Eligible customers can apply through PG&E on their Payment Assistance Webpage.
Payment Arrangement Plans
Payment Arrangement Plans offers flexible payment plans to spread balance out, up to 12 months or choose an extension allowing full payment later. This allows you to schedule payment of your current balance over several months to help manage temporary financial strains. To enroll sign in to your PG&E account and scroll down to ‘Payment Options’.
CARE & FERA Programs
California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) & Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) programs administered by PG&E provide discounts of up to 20-35% on energy bills for income-qualified customers. In light of COVID-19, if you have recent changes in your finances or lost your job, even if receiving unemployment benefits, you may be eligible for a reduced energy rate through the CARE and FERA programs. To see if you qualify and apply visit PG&E’s CARE & FERA webpage.
Medical Baseline Allowance
Medical Baseline Allowance is an assistance program for residential customers who depend on power for certain medical and independent living needs. The program includes assistance with a lower rate on your monthly energy bill and additional notifications in advance of a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
Residents that qualify may receive an allowance of approximately 500 kWh of electricity at the lowest rate each month based on the medical condition and device. The program is administered through PG&E and the discount applies to both the Silicon Valley Clean Energy generation portion of your bill and PG&E delivery portion of your bill.
The California Public Utilities Commission determined that beginning January 1, 2022, customers enrolled in the Medical Baseline program will no longer be exempt from paying the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA). The PCIA will be applied in a phased approach. In the first year, customers will be paying 25% of the PCIA and each year the amount of the PCIA charged will increase by 25% until January 2025 when the full PCIA charge will be applied.
As a customer of SVCE, you will still see on-bill savings compared to PG&E’s generation service. Visit the webpage to learn more and apply.
California Arrearage Payment Program
In Spring 2022, eligible customers will receive an automatic bill credit applied to both the generation and transmission portions of their electricity bills. This is part of the California Arrearage Payment Program (CAPP), a state program to help pay customers’ eligible past due energy utility bills that increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Credits will be listed as “California Arrearage Payment Program Bill Credit,” “Cal. Arrearage Payment Program Credit” or “CAPP Credit” and there is no application required to apply for CAPP as credits will be automatically applied.
Relief for Energy Assistance Through Community Help (REACH)
The REACH program is administered by the non-profit Dollar Energy Fund and provides income-qualified customers with a one-time energy credit each year for up to $300 depending on a past due bill. The program helps customers pay for energy during a crisis and keep utilities services turned on in times of hardship. Learn more and enroll at PG&E’s REACH webpage.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
LIHEAP is a federally-funded assistance program overseen by the California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) and administered regionally by Sacred Heart Community Service. LIHEAP offers assistance to customers to help pay energy bills, emergency assistance with utility shut-off notices and home weatherization to help reduce energy usage.
COVID-19 Relief & Community Resilience Programs
Silicon Valley Clean Energy has taken special steps to support our customers and communities during the Covid-19 pandemic and has committed $10 million for programs. These programs include on-bill credits to qualifying customers, community resilience grants, and workforce relief for local contractors.
Emergency Rental Assistance Program
As part of the December 2020 Federal Stimulus Bill, income-eligible households can receive rent and utility bill payment assistance through California COVID-19 Rent Relief. To learn more and apply visit the California Housing webpage.
Homeowner Assistance Fund
Through the 2021 American Rescue Plan, income-eligible customers may be eligible for mortgage and utility bill assistance with the Homeowner Assistance Fund. While the State of California is still finalizing the logistics of the fund, you sign-up for CalHFA’s announcement newsletter at the California Housing Financing Agency webpage.
SVCE Medical Baseline Battery Program
Silicon Valley Clean Energy, is teaming up with the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center, your local non-profit disability justice organization, to provide eligible residents a free Goal Zero Yeti 3,000X portable battery to use during power outages.
