PG&E says its CARE (California Alternate Rates for Energy) program — which gives a 20% discount on utility bills to low-income customers — is experiencing a jump in enrollment. The utility expects to have 1.6 million customers in the program by the end of the year, as compared with 1.3 million last year.
"We've seen more than 60,000 customers enroll in the program just for the month of April. That's triple the typical monthly enrollment," said PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras.
Contreras said the online application process only takes about 5 minutes, and people who qualify will begin getting the discount on their next monthly bill.
The CARE program is funded by a surcharge on all utility customers.
— Jasmin Purifoy