Source: CBS News | By Kayla Moeller

The Utility Reform Network, a consumer advocacy group, says the proposal is a step in the right direction. "First of all, the rate people pay for usage would be reduced," said Matthew Freedman of the Utility Reform Network. If passed, customers would see a separate line on their bill for $24.15. However, that doesn't mean your bill would go up. That's because the flat rate would restructure your bill. The CPUC says customers' usage rates would be reduced by 5 cents per kilowatt hour. "For example, a PG&E customer that lives in the Sacramento area, the average customer would see about $1.50 a month net savings on their bills," Freedman said.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has a new proposal to lower the cost of your utility bill, but it's causing controversy as opponents are worried it could do the opposite. What's being proposed is a restructuring of how customers pay utility bills.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle | By Julie Johnson

Matthew Freedman, a staff attorney with ratepayer advocate nonprofit The Utility Reform Network, said his organization supports the commission’s plan but said the state needs to do more to make energy more affordable. “Much more needs to be done to address California’s skyrocketing electricity rates,” Freedman said.

Millions of Californians could see a new $24 fixed charge on their monthly utility bills in coming years if state regulators approve a plan that would reduce how much customers pay per kilowatt hour of electricity. The California Public Utilities Commission estimates the new flat fee would allow companies like Pacific Gas and Electric to reduce electricity prices by about 5 to 7 cents per kilowatt hour, easing the expense for customers already paying some of the highest electricity prices in the country.

Source: The Northern California Record | By Northern California Record

The Utility Reform Network (TURN) has raised concerns about the financial burden on California's ratepayers, who are grappling with "record-breaking bills" that are allegedly pushing families into poverty and homelessness. The organization points out that Californians are dealing with escalating costs for basic necessities such as housing, food, utilities, and insurance. In a press release, TURN revealed that the California Public Utilities Commission is planning to collect $516 million prematurely from PG&E ratepayers to safeguard PG&E’s credit rating. The consumer advocacy group highlighted that PG&E has several pending requests for rate hikes in addition to the average monthly increase of $35 that came into effect on January 1. TURN emphasized the urgency of the situation by stating that Californians are confronted with "skyrocketing bills" and require immediate relief. TURN is an independent consumer advocacy organization operating statewide, as per its website. For half a century, TURN has been committed to helping California residents and small businesses save money. The organization offers information on energy and telephone issues to consumers.

Over the past year, residents of California have been hit by significant price hikes for various necessities. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Consumer Price Index indicates that residents in the Western Region - which encompasses all of California - are paying 2.3% more for food, 4.8% more for rent, and 11.5% more for electricity since February 2023.

Source: KPBS | By Andrew Bracken & Lara McCaffrey

Here's consumer advocate Mark Toney of the Utility Reform Network. A lot of people are questioning why is it that SDG&E needs more money , that shareholders seem to be doing just fine. It's the customers that are hurting. It's the customers that are feeling the pain , but it's the shareholders who are reaping the gain.

And not surprisingly , over the past few years , we've seen an increase in the number of people falling behind on their bills. At the same time , SDG&E reported record profits in 2023 , leading many to wonder why prices are so high.

Source: The Press Democrat | By Marisa Endicott

“A woman described how essential her internet service has been in facilitating medical appointments for her mother in hospice care. ‘I strongly encourage policies that support a modern and robust network for everything in California,’ she said. ‘I don’t want the CPUC to stand in the way of progress.”

The backlash from California communities and officials has been swift and steady as state regulators consider whether to release AT&T from…

Source: CBS News | By Ruth Dusseault

According to Regina Costa with The Utility Reform Network, a nonprofit watchdog group that advocates for affordable power and phone service, the two designation requests are linked in a slight-of-hand to get out from regulations. If AT&T is released as the COLR, then it is no longer obligated to provide basic service. "There's the catch," said Costa, "They are saying they will provide California LifeLine, but only where it has an obligation. At the same time, they are asking for a release of the obligation as carrier of last resort. So, it's really a lot of smoke and mirrors." Costa says that AT&T is allowed to offer LifeLine using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which is a digital service that can be transmitted on either copper or fiber optic wires, but she says the company chooses not to do that. "So, it is being pitched as if they are getting rid of these old, antiquated lines," Costa said. AT&T also co-owns most of the utility poles with PG&E, said Costa. "So, if you want to use the pole, you have to negotiate with AT&T."

On Tuesday, over 200 phone comments were heard by the California Public Utilities Commission over their consideration to release AT&T from its obligation to serve as the state's carrier of last resort. The carrier of last resort designation, or COLR, is a cornerstone of utility regulation. It obligates a carrier to serve all customers within their territory no matter where they live, even in places with spotty cellphone service.

Source: Utility Dive | By Herman K. Trabish

But without “some kind of rate restructuring,” the growing non-electricity costs imposed on the volumetric rate could lead to “profound unfairness between the haves and the have-nots,” said Matthew Freedman, staff attorney with The Utility Reform Network, or TURN. Many stakeholders, including UC Berkeley’s Borenstein and TURN’s Freedman, expect regulators to propose a simplified IGFC. With a very high fixed charge, upper income customers “may buy solar and batteries and other technologies and defect” from utility service, TURN’s Freedman agreed. Reducing utilities’ return on equity and using new sources of and approaches to financing to reduce the capital needed for infrastructure projects will also reduce costs, TURN’s Freedman added.

Some California lawmakers have proposed repealing a measure the legislature approved in 2022 that would protect low-income customers and beneficial electrification from electricity rates that are now the nation’s third highest. The income graduated fixed charge, or IGFC, was proposed in a 2021 University of California white paper as a way to partially shift the funding source for some of the state’s public policies from its fast rising per kWh, or volumetric, power prices to income-based fixed charges.

Source: The Mercury News | By George Avalos

“If PG&E cared about customer rankings, it would spend less money on public relations and slick television commercials, and more on live persons to answer the phone when customers call,” Mark Toney, executive director with The Utility Reform Network, or TURN, said in comments emailed to this news organization. “If PG&E wanted a better reputation, it would stop overspending on excessive tree removal, and more on connecting new electrical service to affordable housing developments, schools and hospitals that have been on a waiting list for months.” “If PG&E wanted to boost customer confidence, it would prioritize delivering the cleanest, safest and most reliable service at the most cost-efficient manner, instead of prioritizing shareholder profits,” Toney said.

PG&E languishes in the bottom third of a list of dozens of big utilities nationwide in terms of customer satisfaction, although the embattled power company’s rank is improving, a new survey shows.

Source: KPBS San Diego | By Erik Anderson

“A lot of people are questioning why is it, that SDG&E needs more money,” said Mark Toney, the executive director of The Utility Reform Network (TURN). “Their shareholders seem to be just fine. It’s the customers that are hurting. It’s the customers that are feeling the pain. But it’s the shareholders that are reaping the gains.” TURN said regulators should not have approved the increase, asking the CPUC to disallow more than one rate hike a year. “We can’t simply have unlimited amounts of money spent on wildfire safety,” Toney said. “We want the most cost-effective measures to be spent on wildfire safety because these bills are going sky high.”

San Diego Gas & Electric is going up in March, just a month after the utility reported record profits for 2023. The rate hike eliminates some savings from an unexpected 11% cut in delivery charges in January. The delivery charges jump 8.7% in the March billing cycle and the average customer bill will increase about $8 a month. The move comes after the investor-owned utility posted record profits during the last calendar year. Company profits in 2023 hit a new record of $936 million, $21 million more than the previous year.

Source: The Fresno Bee | By Bryant-Jon Anteola

“The commission owes an explanation to customers whenever they adopt a rate increase but now more than ever,” Mark Toney, executive director of ratepayer advocate nonprofit The Utility Reform Network, told the Chronicle.

PG&E showed profits of $2.24 billion in 2023, a nearly 25% year-over-year increase, according to KRON4.

Source: The Tribune | By The Editorial Board

PG&E has approximated the cost of running the plant until 2030 at about $5 billion, according to TURN, a utility watchdog group. TURN claims that “significantly understates the true costs of continued operation of DCPP,” according to testimony it submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission. It says the cost will likely be closer to $10 billion. “PG&E’s estimate excludes a wide range of costs,” TURN’s staff attorney Matthew Freedman said. “They arbitrarily limited the scope of costs by just ignoring a whole lot of things.” Those include administrative costs, such as legal and financial services; retention bonuses for employees; $300 million to be set aside to pay for replacement power in case the plant goes offline; and $100 million per year in guaranteed profits, he said. TURN has no estimate beyond 2030, though the Environmental Working Group, which opposes continued operation of the plant, has estimated that keeping Diablo online through 2045 could add from $55 to $124 a year to the typical utility bill.

Estimates of the cost of operating Diablo Canyon past 2025 differ dramatically. Rushing to give the plant a blessing to stay open for 20 more years — without knowing what that might entail — may be great for PG&E, but not so great for the beleaguered ratepayers of California. The Board of Supervisors should keep that in mind before choosing sides.

Source: The Sun-Gazette | By Darren Fraser

“They put it (the item) on the consent agenda,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network (TURN). “Which means it was buried with 40 other items. There was no explanation, no discussion because there was one vote on all 40 items. That was something I thought was insulting. Customers deserve an explanation on why they decided to vote that way.” Toney, who is a fixture at CPUC meetings, said the move surprised even him. “I can’t remember the last time they did that,” he said. He also had trouble remembering the last time the CPUC rejected a proposed rate increase. “I can’t get you an absolute but I can’t remember the last time the commission told PG&E no,” he said.

At its last meeting in San Francisco, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved PG&E’s latest request for a rate hike, which becomes effective in April and would add nearly $4 to the average customer’s gas bill and just over $1 to the average electric bill. But for one critic, how the CPUC handled the vote was nearly as odious as the outcome.

Source: Fox 26 News Fresno | By Rich Rodriguez

What's behind the hikes? The executive director of TURN-The Utility Reform Network, Mark Toney says PG&E exceeded its budget on wildfire safety. "So they have a 9 billion overspend but they keep coming back to ratepayers to say we need you to pay for this piece of it. We need you to pay for that piece of it," Toney said. So how is PG&E allowed to overspend on wildfire mitigation? Mark Toney says in 2019 the state legislature passed AB-1054 that created a wildfire insurance fund. He says if a utility has a cost overrun it can go back to the PUC and ask for recovery from ratepayers. "They have a credit card with no limit and a guarantee that ratepayers are going to pay for it. That is the cause of overspending. No limit," Toney said. The new rate goes into effect in April. Mark Toney says ratepayers need to complain to their state lawmakers and Governor Newsom.

Your PG&E bill is going up again. That's twice since the start of 2024. PG&E customers started the new year with a $38 rate hike. Last week PG&E went back to the California Public Utilities Commission and got the okay to raise rates another $5.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle | By Julie Johnson

Mark Toney, executive director of ratepayer advocate nonprofit The Utility Reform Network, said that “a whole lot more is at stake” with rising utility bills than just household budgets. “We need to understand the consequences of these rate increases on climate change,” he said.

A new electric car costs about $2,039 more on average than a conventional gas-powered car as of January, according to a Cox Automotive study. But e-vehicles have lower costs to maintain, repair and fuel up. Rising electricity prices run the risk of scaring potential new owners concerned about their bills, said Severin Borenstein, an economist and professor at UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas. “We’re discouraging people from doing something we really need them to do,” Borenstein said.

Source: CBS News | By Kayla Moeller

"We're talking about a $5 a month increase on top of the $38 increase that went into effect on January 1. The customers of PG&E deserve an explanation," said Mark Toney, executive director of the Utility Reform Network. "Since the public utilities commission is unwilling to set these limits, we need the legislature to step in and set these limits," Toney said

Get ready to pay more for your Pacific Gas and Electric service. State regulators have approved yet another rate hike for the utility company. The change will add about an average of $5 a month to customers' bills. That's on top of historic hikes that went into effect just two months ago. The back-to-back rate hikes even have people looking to buy a home outside PG&E's coverage territory.

Source: Fox 40 Sacramento | By Veronica Catlin & Mason Mauro

“The commission is falling for PG&E’s continued claims of crying poor -of saying they’re in a financial squeeze,” said Mark Toney, a member of the Utilities Reform Network. He added that PG&E customers need to prepare themselves because this won’t be the last increase in rates. “The commission is falling for PG&E’s continued claims of crying poor -of saying they’re in a financial squeeze,” said Mark Toney, a member of the Utilities Reform Network. He added that PG&E customers need to prepare themselves because this won’t be the last increase in rates.

The California Public Utilities Commission approved another hike in Pacific Gas & Electric rates that will go into effect in April 2024. The decision was made at Thursday’s California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) meeting despite several customers who vehemently spoke out against it. The added expense follows a 13% rate increase (almost $35 a month) that happened on Jan. 1, 2024.

Source: ABC 7 News | By Lena Howland

"I think that is disrespectful to customers, and that the commissioners owe it to the customers to explain their vote for yet another increase," Mark Toney, executive director of TURN said. Toney, executive director of TURN, The Utility Reform Network, points out that this increase is on top of the hike that already went into effect on Jan. 1, which averaged around $38 a month per customer. This is despite the utility reporting last year's profits surged to more than $2.2 billion, a jump of almost 25%. “It doesn't make any sense for PG&E to keep crying poor when the fact is, they are more profitable than they've ever been in their history, it is not right," he said.

On Thursday, the CPUC voted again to allow PG&E to raise rates in a 4-0 vote, expected to take effect in April. This comes after a rate increase just went into effect on Jan. 1.

Source: Silicon Valley | By George Avalos

“The PUC rubber-stamped PG&E’s interim rate request,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, or TURN. Toney, with TURN, was disappointed the state PUC approved the interim increase in rates, leading to yet another jump in monthly costs, through a mass endorsement by the commissioners of the consent agenda. “Ratepayers deserve an explanation from the five commissioners,” Toney said, “about why they approved this.”

PG&E has won approval for a plan that will shove monthly utility bills higher — yet again — starting in April, a decision a consumer advocacy group is blasting as a “rubber stamp” by state regulators. The state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved PG&E’s plans for higher monthly bills — known officially as an interim rate request — as part of a consent calendar packed with 54 items.

Source: The San Francisco Standard | By Kevin Truong

“We're opposing this. It’s outrageous, especially with a $2.24 billion profit,” said Mark Toney, the executive director of The Utility Reform Network, which filed an official objection to the rate hike.

After nearly two hours of vociferous—at times enraged—opposition to planned PG&E rate hikes during a meeting of the California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday, commissioners took five minutes to issue their decision. The regulators would allow PG&E to raise rates. Again.

Source: KTVU Fox 2 | By Tori Gaines

The Utility Reform Network said, “The current system that sets no limits on rate increases, needs to be replaced by a cap on annual bills, set at the Cost of Living Adjustment provided by Social Security.”

The California Public Utilities Commission is expected to vote on Thursday on a new proposal that would add another fixed charge to electric bills. Pacific Gas and Electric said customers would see a $4 to $6 increase in their bills and that's in addition to rate hikes put into place this year.