PG&E proposes 5th rate hike for 2024, but why? Here's where money is going

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- PG&E customers could spot different summation successful their inferior bills. If approved, this would people the 5th complaint hike this year.

ABC7 News looked into wherever the wealth is going and what tin beryllium done to curb aboriginal increases.

RELATED: State regulators unanimously o.k. PG&E's 4th complaint hike for 2024

"It's decease by a cardinal cuts. It's conscionable a nonstop complaint hike aft a complaint hike," said Lee Trotman of The Utility Reform Network (TURN).

Already this year, PG&E has received support for 4 complaint increases. The astir caller hike added an mean of $6 to lawsuit bills. Now, the inferior is proposing different summation of $4.33 per period to screen $592 cardinal successful vegetation absorption costs.

Rising Costs for Customers

"Right now, you're paying an mean of $50 much than astatine the opening of the year," Trotman said.

Rates person been rising for years. A California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) graph shows that PG&E's mean lawsuit measure has doubled betwixt January 2018 and January 2023.

"It's truthful costly to unrecorded successful California, period. You adhd these ever-increasing electrical bills, and it's not sustainable," said authorities Sen. Scott Wiener, a longtime advocator for PG&E reforms.

RELATED: After complaint hikes this year, PG&E announces astir 25% summation successful profits to $2.2B for 2023

Calls for Reform

In 2020, Wiener authored a measure to research a nationalist takeover of PG&E, citing years of inadequate infrastructure concern that contributed to wildfires and different issues.

"This each stems from PG&E's nonaccomplishment implicit many, galore years to put successful basal infrastructure," Wiener said. "The institution has... a existent problem."

In 2023, Wiener projected authorities to expedite inferior connections for caller developments, including nationalist parks and stateless shelters.

PG&E declined an on-camera interrogation but stated that the projected backing would let the institution to link to 13,000 caller customers this year, compared to 9,800 successful 2022.

What Can Customers Do?

TURN encourages customers to dependable their concerns astatine nationalist hearings. When asked astir legislative action, Wiener noted, "The legislature and the politician surely person the powerfulness to acceptable rules astir rates and nonstop the CPUC. The question is whether the legislature has the governmental volition to bash that. PG&E and their supporters inactive clasp important powerfulness successful Sacramento."

The CPUC is acceptable to see the latest complaint summation connected Dec. 19. If approved, PG&E says the hike won't look connected bills until 2026.