Golden State Today

Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that millions of Californians will receive an average of $146 in credits on their April gas and electric bills. This initiative is part of the California Climate Credit program, which is a direct result of the state's Cap-and-Trade climate program that requires polluters to pay for climate action. Governor Newsom emphasized the impact of California's climate laws, stating, "Every year, California’s nation-leading climate laws deliver real climate action while giving you money back on your utility bills. This relief will support millions of California families."

Since 2014, California households have already received an average of $971 in combined automatic April and October climate credits on their utility bills, totaling more than $14 billion statewide. The state will provide a total of $2.7 billion in credits, with $1.6 billion allocated for electric customers, $1 billion for natural gas customers, and $160 million for small businesses.

The credits range from $32 to $175 for electricity bills, with most customers expected to receive between $55 to $86. Additionally, residential customers can expect approximately $58 to $86 in credits on their natural gas bills. The credit will be applied to bills for customers of major utility companies such as PG&E, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas Company, Bear Valley, Liberty, PacifiCorp, and Southwest Gas.

Californians do not need to take any action to receive the credit, as it is automatically applied. The California Climate Credit is part of the State’s Cap-and-Trade Program managed by the California Air Resources Board, with the credit on utility bills representing the consumer’s share of the payments from the program. Residents can check the amount of their credit on the program's website.