PG&E rate changes in 2026: how to check your California bill

First, confirm that the bill is from Pacific Gas and Electric

The acronym PGE can refer to more than one utility in national search results. This guide concerns Pacific Gas and Electric service in California. Use the name on the bill and the service address before relying on a rate article or calculator.

Use the current rate schedule, not an old average

PG&E's electric-rates page identifies the current and historic residential schedules. The page lists residential inclusive time-of-use pricing effective from March 1, 2026. A bill can still differ from a headline average because the rate plan, baseline allowance, time of use, billing days, usage and generation arrangement are account specific.

How the Base Services Charge changed the bill display

PG&E says that, beginning in March 2026, the bill separates some service costs into a Base Services Charge while lowering the electricity price compared with the otherwise applicable price. Most customers pay a charge around $24 per month, and the actual amount can vary with the number of billing days. PG&E describes discounted amounts for eligible CARE and FERA customers on its current page.

Do not add a fixed-charge figure to an old bill and call the result a new total. Compare the full current bill, including its rate schedule and electricity use. PG&E states that lower per-kWh pricing may or may not lower an individual total bill because each customer's usage differs.

Check a rate plan against actual usage

PG&E directs residential customers to compare rate plans using their actual usage. Its rate-plan resources distinguish time-of-use, tiered, electric-home and solar rate options. A plan that appears inexpensive in one hour or season is not necessarily the lower-bill option for a particular home.

1. Keep a recent full bill and the current rate-plan name.
2. Compare the same billing period in the prior year before attributing a change to one line item.
3. Use PG&E's account tools or rate-plan comparison with actual usage.
4. Check eligibility directly for any income-qualified program before assuming a discount.

Solar needs a separate tariff and proposal review

A bill change does not establish a solar saving, system size or battery need. Existing solar customers and new proposals should identify the actual tariff, expected onsite use, imports, exports, delivery charges and remaining utility charges. The PG&E bill guide and Net Billing comparison explain the documents to check before relying on a sales estimate.