Yes. CARE, FERA and Medical Baseline is available to Silicon Valley Clean Energy customers as well as PG&E customers and provides the same discount regardless of enrollment with Silicon Valley Clean Energy or PG&E. Customers enrolled in Silicon Valley Clean Energy continue to receive their CARE, FERA and Medical Baseline discount within their PG&E delivery charges; there is no need to reapply with Silicon Valley Clean Energy. New CARE, FERA and Medical Baseline enrollments or renewals must still be done through PG&E’s customer service center or website.
Silicon Valley Clean Energy electric generation rates are lower than PG&E and we offer carbon-free electricity. We are committed to offering rates that are stable and affordable for all of our customers. For detailed rate information, please see our residential and commercial rate pages.
The Silicon Valley Clean Energy board is committed to providing the cleanest electricity at the most competitive prices possible. Any changes to rates will be discussed at duly-noticed public meetings. This program was developed to benefit Silicon Valley, and clean, cost-competitive power is one way we plan to do that. As a public entity, Silicon Valley Clean Energy is here to serve and benefit all of the residents and businesses in our service territory. We do not have shareholders that we need to serve. We work for you, the local customer.
No. We work together with PG&E so that you will get just one bill from PG&E each month. Silicon Valley Clean Energy’s charges for electricity generation are included as a line item on your PG&E bill.
Silicon Valley Clean Energy charges for generating the electricity you use. When you begin receiving electric generation from Silicon Valley Clean Energy, the charges for generation that used to go to PG&E are replaced by charges from Silicon Valley Clean Energy. PG&E will continue to charge for the transmission and delivery of electricity, along with a variety of other regulatory and program charges at the same rates they always have. There are no duplicate charges for electricity generation.
View our Understanding Your Bill webpage.
You will continue to get just one bill from PG&E. The generation charge line items on the bill will be updated since the generation of power will be sourced by Silicon Valley Clean Energy instead of PG&E.
PG&E charges Silicon Valley Clean Energy customers a Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) and a Franchise Fee Surcharge. Both are calculated based on the number of kilowatt-hours used each month. The PCIA is intended to ensure that SVCE customers pay the difference between what PG&E paid for power contracted to serve them prior to their switch, and the current market value of that power. For most SVCE customers, the PCIA is currently two to three cents per kilowatt-hour, depending on when the customer switched to Silicon Valley Clean Energy and whether they are a residential or a commercial customer. The PCIA and Franchise Fee charges are factored into SVCE’s rate setting process so that in total, customers still save money compared to PG&E’s rates.
If you ever have questions about the Silicon Valley Clean Energy portion of your bill, you can visit our website at www.svcleanenergy.org, call us toll free at 1-844-474-7823 or email us at customerservice@svcleanenergy.org. If you have questions about the rest of your PG&E bill, call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
Yes. SVCE customers remain eligible for PG&E rebate programs, the California Public Utilities Commission authorizes PG&E to collect fees (called public goods charges) from all customers to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy incentive programs. PG&E will still collect these fees and Silicon Valley Clean Energy customers will remain eligible for these incentives and services.
This is a state required “high usage surcharge” that is applied to the part of the energy that exceeds four times the baseline allowance, and applies to Tiered Rate plan (E-1) customers, it is not an SVCE charge, and will apply to all E-1 customers.
No. Silicon Valley Clean Energy’s rates mirror those of PG&E, so your rate plan remains the same, but the cost of your electricity is less than PG&E’s equivalent generation rate for GreenStart.
View residential rates and commercial rates.
No. SmartRate ia a PG&E program that provides you a small discount during summer months in return for a higher rate up to 15 SmartDays a year, where you pay a much higher price for usage. Silicon Valley Clean Energy rate schedules are designed to follow the same rates as PG&E, however at this time we do not have an equivalent SmartRate program, since PG&E is in the process of implementing time of use as a default rate, which could lead to phasing out this special rate. Instead you will have carbon free electricity at lower rates than PG&E year round, and will have the chance to participate in similar dynamic rates as they become available in the future.
Yes, since PG&E handles the transmission and distribution for all Silicon Valley Clean Energy customers, our customers will continue to receive credits like this as long as PG&E offers them.
If you use the Budget Billing option with PG&E, your PG&E natural gas charges and your electric delivery charges will still be leveled from month to month. Electric generation charges cannot be leveled in the CCE program and will vary with each bill. For most customers, these charges do not vary greatly from month to month during the year.
The Silicon Valley Clean Energy Board of Directors, composed of a representative from each of the participating communities, sets rates according to agreed-upon goals of the program and the cost of its energy contracts during that period. Our top goals include rate stability and affordability, so your rates will always be as competitive with PG&E rates as possible. Rates are developed, discussed, evaluated and approved at public meetings, where the public is welcome to speak and give feedback.
