Fresno residents owe $48 million to PG&E amid coronavirus pandemic. Is there any relief?
Fresno residents have deferred utility payments that exceed $50 million through January, another example of the need for a federal COVID-19 relief package, Mayor Jerry Dyer said recently.
Residents owe Pacific Gas & Electric about $48 million, officials with the power company confirmed.
Fresnans owe another $5.8 million to the city of Fresno for water and other utility fees. That number increased from $1.3 million before the pandemic.
During the pandemic, residents who can show they were financially hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic can get those fees deferred, as well as rents or mortgages.
Fresno said its moratorium will be around as long as the city’s emergency declaration is in place. PG&E extended its program through June.
But those fees are not forgiven, rather they continue to pile up.
Dyer said many residents are facing decisions on how to pay the bills.
“In terms of people facing evictions, thousands of people who are not able to pay their rent are having to make the decision, ‘Do I pay PG&E? Pay city utilities? Do I put food on the table, or do I pay my landlord?’” he said. “That is why this relief plan is so important.”
He was referring to support for President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief package. Fresno itself could need the help to make up $31 million in a projected shortfall or face laying off 250 workers, including police officers and firefighters.
Biden’s emergency plan, unveiled in January, includes $25 billion in rental assistance.
There is also $400 weekly unemployment benefit through September, $415 billion to boost the pandemic response and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, about $440 billion for small businesses and communities and $130 billion for schools. The plan also calls for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.
Democrats are hoping to pass the stimulus deal before March 14, the day that $300 weekly unemployment benefits approved in December’s coronavirus package expire.
The plan also would send $1,400 checks to individuals earning up to $75,000 a year and joint filers earning up to $150,000, if the income levels stay the same as with the first two rounds of payments. The proposal would also provide $1,400 per child or adult dependent.
Payment plans
PG&E offers plans for people behind on their payments, according to Laurie Giammona, PG&E’s chief customer officer and a senior vice president. The protections that were set to expire in April have been pushed through the end of June.
“For nearly a year now, we have supported our customers through unimaginable health and economic circumstances,” she said in a news release. “We believe extending these customer protections like stopping service disconnections for non-payment through June ensures our customers, especially the most vulnerable, have access to safe and reliable power during this challenging time.”
PG&E has pledged a moratorium on shutting off power for non-payments, a pause on deposits for small businesses to start getting power and lower rates for people who qualify for medical-related discounts.
The company offers payment plans and other programs for people and businesses who qualify.
There are also programs for families with qualifying low incomes or those experiencing hardships.
Dyer noted that federal rental relief programs agree to pay a landlord 80% of what is owed if the landlord forgives 100% of the debt from their tenant.
“I don’t know how we’re going to do the PG&E. That number is astronomical,” Dyer said. “I do hope that we can offset some of those costs.”
Asked if PG&E would be open to a similar program through federal relief, officials with PG&E did not answer the emailed question.
For customers interested in learning more about the financial assistance and bill payment options, go to pge.com/billhelp.
