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San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) wants its residential customers to be on the lookout for upcoming breaks on their electric bills. SDG&E’s residential customers will receive $64.17 in bill credits on both their August and September electric bills (or a total of $128.34).

Earlier this year, SDG&E’s residential natural gas customers also received $43.06 in credits. This is all thanks to the California Climate Credit program.

Administered by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the program is part of the state’s efforts to fight climate change.

There is no action required to receive the credits. All electricity customers, including community choice aggregation customers, will automatically receive the credits in their August and September billing cycles. SDG&E will also alert customers to the Climate Credits via email.

Altogether, this year’s climate credits total up to $171.40, about double last year’s amount. In addition to residential customers, eligible small businesses will also receive the same amount of climate credits on their electric bills. The credits will be applied during what are typically the hottest months in the year, when energy use tends to be higher due to air conditioning.

The California Climate Credit is a state program that requires power plants, natural gas providers, and other large industries that emit greenhouse gases to buy carbon pollution permits. The credits on customers’ bills represent their share of the payments from the state’s program and provide customers with an increased opportunity to invest in energy-saving products.

Customers who are struggling to pay their bill are encouraged to visit sdge.com/assistance to explore all of the resources available to them – bill discounts, debt relief, payment arrangements and free energy efficiency upgrades that can help lower their bill.

The Power Saver Rewards Program could be activated anytime between now and October 31 whenever the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) issues an Energy Emergency Alert Watch and/or a Flex Alert. Customers enrolled in the voluntary and cost-free program will be notified via email or text messages (depending on their preference) a day ahead of the need to conserve, so they can plan and prepare accordingly. Those who are able to reduce energy use between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. below their typical energy use during these peak hours will receive $2 credit for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity saved. There is no penalty for not reducing energy use.

For reference, it takes about 2 kWh to do a load of dishes or use the oven for an hour. The average residential customer in SDG&E’s service territory uses about 400 kWh of electricity per month.

The Power Saver Rewards Program was initiated by the CPUC to strengthen summer reliability statewide. Per CPUC requirements, more than 570,000 SDG&E customers, including those currently on the CARE and FERA bill discount programs, have been automatically enrolled in the program. Those who wish to enroll can apply via a simple online application

For more information, visit SDGEnews.com.