Investments in energy efficiency will be financed by gas and electric utility customers as part of their general rates and through an existing 2.4% surcharge on their bills known as the "public goods charge." The monthly bill would increase by about 35 cents for the average Edison residential customer, by $1.18 for the average PG&E residential customer and by $1.23 for the average SDG&E customer. Southern California Gas said its residential bills wouldn't change.
The funding, $225 million annually in the case of Southern California Edison, should wind up helping customers to stabilize and even lower their total bills, said Gene Rodrigues, Rosemead-based Edison's director of energy efficiency. The money is about 50% more than the company originally budgeted for this year, he said.
