SCE Offers Bill Forgiveness to Kern Valley Fire Victims

Losing a home to any natural disaster can be a traumatic experience, so Southern California Edison is making sure customers affected by the recent Erskine Fire have one less thing to worry about as they rebuild.

Customers whose homes were destroyed by the wildfire will not have to pay for electricity used since their last bill statement. Their accounts will be closed and they will not be responsible for paying a final bill.

As customers complete repairs or rebuild their homes, they will be able to reconnect electric service without any additional fees. 

“We extend our sincere sympathy to those who have been displaced by the fire, and we want to help,” said Kari Gardner, SCE manager of Consumer Affairs. “Anyone who needs our help should call us as soon as they are able, or visit us at the county transitional center at Woodrow Wallace Middle School opening at 9 a.m.”

The Erskine Fire, in the Lake Isabella area of Kern County, has burned nearly 47,000 acres and destroyed upward of 200 structures.

SCE mobilized crews to make repairs and safely restore power to the more than 3,000 customers who were initially impacted by outages due to the fire. The utility also worked in conjunction with state government organizations to identify the structures lost.

Customers who feel they may qualify for bill forgiveness, or need other assistance, can call SCE at 800-250-7339.

“We recognize that some customers may be impacted in other ways by the fires and could be facing difficulty in paying their bills,” said Gardner. “We encourage these customers to contact SCE and request special payment arrangements at 800-950-2356.