Sustainability

CARE program offers 35% discount on electricity bills for income-qualified residents

May 26, 2020

California residents who have recently lost their job or been furloughed may be eligible for discounts on their energy bills through the California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) Program. East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) is encouraging local residents to apply for the discount program.  

CARE is a State program which provides eligible residents discounts of up to 35 percent and 20 percent on their electricity and natural gas bills, respectively. The program is administered to customers by PG&E, including customers who choose to receive service from a community choice energy program like EBCE. 

Residents qualify for the CARE program based on their current monthly income. This means that households or individuals who have experienced a recent loss or reduction of income due to COVID-19 disruptions may now qualify for the CARE program when they may not have before the public health crisis. Residents may also qualify for the CARE program if they are participants in public assistance programs such as CalFresh, CalWORKs, and Medicaid/Medi-Cal.   

For more information on CARE eligibility and instructions on how to apply, visit www.EBCE.org/CARE. To learn about actions EBCE is taking to support Hayward and its other member jurisdictions in response to COVID-19, visit www.EBCE.org/COVID