No two households use energy in quite the same way. The same is true when it comes to paying for it.
Southern California Edison offers several programs and tools that can help you manage your electric bill your way. Here are some options worth knowing about.
How can I lower my monthly electric bill?
If you meet household income requirements or if you or someone in your home participate in a qualifying public assistance program, you may qualify for an ongoing monthly discount through the Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) or California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program. You can check whether you quality for either program through a single application.
- FERA provides an 18% discount on electric bills.
- CARE provides a 32.5% discount on electric bills.
Where can I get help during a financial hardship?
If you’re seeking one-time help with your electric bill, check whether you are eligible for the following programs.
- Energy Assistance Fund: You may receive a grant of up to $200, or up to $300 if you live in a fully electrified household. The grant is applied directly to your SCE account and is available once during a 12-month period.
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program: This federally funded program may provide bill payment assistance, emergency support or weatherization services.
How can I catch up on a past-due balance?
If you’ve fallen behind, you may be able to get additional time to pay or qualify for help with past-due debt.
- Payment extensions and arrangements: An extension gives you additional time to pay the total balance, while an arrangement divides your overdue balance into smaller monthly payments.
- Arrearage Management Plan: If you’re enrolled in CARE or FERA and meet the additional requirements, you may qualify to have up to $8,000 in eligible past-due debt forgiven after you complete 12 on-time monthly in-full bill payments and meet all program requirements.
How can I make my monthly electric costs more predictable?
SCE bill management tools can help you plan ahead, monitor your expected costs and avoid surprises.
- Budget Billing Plan: The plan estimates your annual electricity costs and spreads them across 11 equal monthly payments. Month 12 settles the difference between your estimated and actual charges.
- Budget Assistant: This tool helps you set a monthly spending goal and receive weekly, midmonth or spending-limit alerts, helping you monitor projected costs and stay on track before the bill arrives.
You can choose to enroll in a variety of programs depending on your energy usage needs and habits.
- Energy Savings Assistance Program: You may qualify for appliances or home improvements installed by an SCE-approved contractor.
- Smart Energy Program: You can receive bill credits for allowing SCE to temporarily adjust an eligible smart thermostat during designated energy events.
- Demand Response Programs: You may be able to earn rewards or bill credits by reducing or shifting your electricity use during times of high demand for electricity.
For more information, visit sce.com/savemoney.
Communications around bill assistance are funded by ratepayers.
