Pacific Gas and Electric has announced it will give out a bill credit to customers who were impacted by the October 9 Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS).
According to a release from PG&E residential customers will get a $100 credit while businesses will get a $250 credit.
Official said they are only issuing a credit for the October 9 PSPS because of the issues with the website and communications.
"We recognize our execution in these areas fell short of expectations, and we have taken steps to reduce those issues going forward." PG&E wrote in a statement.
“We recognize the hardship caused by Public Safety Power Shutoffs in general and how those hardships were exacerbated by our website and call center communications issues related to the Oct. 9 PSPS event that impacted 738,000 customers. We are constantly working to execute these safety shutoffs more effectively while prioritizing public safety. It’s important to remember that the sole purpose of these power shutoffs is to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in the communities that we serve.
We understand that power shutoffs are more than an inconvenience for our customers and we did not live up to their expectations when it came to communicating about this event. We have carefully considered the Governor’s request to provide reimbursement for our customers impacted by the Oct. 9 PSPS and we have agreed to move forward with a one-time bill credit for customers impacted by that event.
This is not an industry standard practice, nor approved as part of a tariff, but we believe it is the right thing to do for our customers in this case, given the challenges with our website and call center communications.” - PG&E Corporation CEO and President Bill Johnson
PG&E said customers do not need to take any action to receive the credit and should see it on their next billing cycle.
Officials said the funding will come from their shareholders.
You can read more about the one-time bill credit here.
