PG&E Income-Qualified Bill Discounts: CARE, FERA and the Lower Daily Charge

PG&E's income-qualified bill discounts are CARE and FERA. CARE takes 35% or more off electricity and 20% or more off gas. FERA takes 18% off electricity for households just above the CARE limits. Both also lower PG&E's daily Base Services Charge. A family of four qualifies for CARE with income up to $66,000 a year through May 31, 2027.

This page is one part of our guide to California electric bills.

A note on the name. The program actually called the “Income Qualified Bill Discount” belongs to Portland General Electric, a different utility in Oregon, which started it on April 15, 2022, under an Oregon state law, according to the Oregon Public Utility Commission. If your bill comes from Portland General Electric, ask them. This page covers Pacific Gas and Electric in California, where the same idea goes by CARE and FERA.

What CARE and FERA take off a PG&E bill

The discount has two parts. The first is a percentage off what you pay per kWh. PG&E's current rate table says CARE customers get 35% off their total bundled volumetric charges on whatever plan they are on, except the California Climate Credit, and calls it a line-item discount, meaning it is figured on your regular charges rather than through a separate CARE rate plan. The second part is the Base Services Charge, the daily fixed charge PG&E started on March 1, 2026. It comes in three income tiers.

Put together, the Public Advocates Office estimates that CARE customers see total discounts of about 40% once the lower daily charge and exemptions are counted. Here is a simple example, our arithmetic on PG&E's E-1 tiered plan at March 1, 2026 prices: a 30-day bill of 400 kWh, all within the baseline allowance, costs about $154.05 for a standard customer (400 × 32.561 cents plus 30 days × $0.79343). On CARE it is about $90.57 (35% off the energy charge plus 30 days × $0.19713), roughly $63 less. Taxes and exemptions will move both numbers a little.

PG&E CARE and FERA income limits, June 2026 to May 2027

Eligibility is based on total gross household income, meaning everyone living in the home and every source: wages, Social Security, pensions, child support, rental income, self-employment and the rest, before taxes. The CPUC sets the limits each year. The current table runs from June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027.

You can also qualify for CARE without an income test if you or someone in the household is enrolled in LIHEAP, WIC, CalFresh/SNAP, CalWORKs or Tribal TANF, SSI, Medi-Cal or Medicaid, the National School Lunch Program, Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start Income Eligible (tribal only) or Healthy Families A and B.

Rules that trip people up

• The PG&E bill must be in your name, and you must live at that address. Sub-metered tenants use the landlord's bill in their name.
• No one other than a spouse can claim you as a dependent on a tax return.
• For CARE, you cannot share a meter with another home, and your monthly use cannot exceed six times the Tier 1 allowance.
• PG&E may ask for proof of income after you enroll, and CARE customers may be asked to take part in the Energy Savings Assistance program.
• CARE must be renewed every two years, or every four years on a fixed income. Tell PG&E if you stop qualifying.

One application covers both programs: if you do not qualify for CARE, PG&E checks FERA, and the other way around. PG&E says the online form takes a few minutes and needs no documents at the time you apply. You can also call PG&E's CARE line at 1-866-743-2273.

If you are already behind on the bill

You have company. The Public Advocates Office counted 1,356,481 PG&E customers, 24%, behind on their bills in May 2026, owing $572 on average. PG&E lists several programs beyond the rate discount:

• Arrearage Management Plan (AMP): up to $8,000 in debt forgiveness for CARE and FERA customers.
• REACH: up to $800 toward a past-due bill if you received a disconnection notice.
• Match My Payment: PG&E may match your payment up to $1,000.
• LIHEAP: up to $1,000 for past-due bills, through the federal program.
• Payment arrangements and Budget Billing: spread a balance over several months, or even out seasonal peaks.
• Medical Baseline: not income-based; it helps customers who depend on power for certain medical needs.

Who qualifies for each, which to apply for first and how to reach the agencies are covered in REACH, LIHEAP and debt forgiveness for past-due bills.

How the discount fits with rates and your plan

CARE lowers the price of whatever plan you are on, so the plan choice still matters. The trade-offs between PG&E's tiered and time-of-use plans are in PG&E tier rates and PG&E time-of-use plans. If a community choice provider buys your power, the discount still applies; the CPUC says CARE and FERA cover utility and CCA customers alike. What that provider's line means is covered in third-party electric charges on a PG&E bill. For how PG&E prices have moved, see whether PG&E rates went up and the California utility rate tracker. If a small home's bill still looks high, the one-bedroom PG&E bill math shows what is typical, and why a PG&E bill runs high walks through the checks.

Going solar does not end the daily charge. PG&E says Solar Billing Plan customers still see the Base Services Charge on their monthly statements, so a CARE or FERA household keeps paying its lower tier. How exports are credited is a separate question, covered in net billing vs. net metering.

Without panels, CARE or FERA can also open a solar discount. PG&E's Green Saver program takes 20% off the electric bill for customers who buy their power from PG&E, are eligible for CARE or FERA and live in a disadvantaged or tribal community, though PG&E says it is currently at capacity and enrolls eligible customers automatically as space opens. The rules are in PG&E's solar programs, including Green Saver.