Billing Options
Budget Billing
Smooth out seasonal bill spikes by averaging your monthly energy costs over time. Your payment amount is calculated monthly based on a rolling average of your past energy use.
Enrollment is completed on PG&E’s website.
How it works
A more predictable monthly payment
PCE now supports Budget Billing, which estimates your monthly charges using a rolling average of your energy costs from the past 12 to 13 months. Your payment amount is updated each month to account for your most recent usage period.
Eligibility Requirements
Who can participate
To enroll in Budget Billing, you must:
- Be a non-NEM residential customer
- Or be a small business customer on an eligible rate (A1, A6, B1, B6)
- Have a history of on-time, complete bill payments
- Not be on a payment plan
- Not have a history of partial or late payments
Enrollment
Budget Billing does not reduce what you owe overall. It spreads your costs out to help reduce seasonal bill spikes, and in some cases it can result in a higher average monthly payment.
PG&E manages Budget Billing enrollment. To enroll or unenroll, you’ll be directed to PG&E’s website.
If your actual monthly bill is higher or lower than your Budget Billing payment, the difference is tracked in an account balance that updates monthly. If you leave the program, any remaining balance is applied to your final bill.
FAQs
No. Budget Billing does not reduce what you owe overall. It helps reduce seasonal bill spikes by averaging payments across the year.
Your payment is recalculated monthly using a rolling average of your energy costs from the past 12 to 13 months.
Your balance tracks the difference between your actual bill and your Budget Billing payment amount and is updated monthly.
Yes. You can unenroll at any time through PG&E. Any remaining balance is applied to your final bill.
Yes. Because payments are averaged, your monthly payment in lower-usage months may be higher than you are used to.