A pending decision by the California Public Utilities Commission, expected to be voted on April 30, would shift the timing of future electric credits to August and September — months when summer heat typically drives electricity bills higher.
Millions of California households will begin receiving automatic credits on their natural gas bills this month as part of the state’s Cap-and-Invest program, officials said.
The credits, totaling $520 million for natural gas customers, will provide an average of about $40 per household, according to the California Public Utilities Commission.
The credits are funded through revenue generated by the state’s Cap-and-Invest program, which requires large greenhouse gas emitters to purchase allowances. That money is returned to residential customers as bill credits.
This year’s total residential credits amount to $1.4 billion, with $894 million going to electric customers and $520 million to natural gas customers. An additional $73 million is allocated for small businesses.
A pending decision by the California Public Utilities Commission, expected to be voted on April 30, would shift the timing of future electric credits to August and September — months when summer heat typically drives electricity bills higher. The change would take effect for the 2026 credit year.
Natural gas credits would also be adjusted in the future, moving earlier in the year to better align with periods of higher winter usage, beginning in February 2027.
The adjustments stem from Assembly Bill 1207, signed into law last year, which extends the Cap-and-Invest program through 2045 and directs that credits be delivered when they provide the most relief to households.
Since 2014, the program has returned more than $16 billion in credits to residential utility customers. It has also generated $33 billion in broader climate investments, according to state officials.
