Source:KRON Bay Area | By Dan Kerman

“We got to fix a broken system where there are no limits to how much PG&E can ask for increases how many times a year,” said Mark Toney of The Utility Reform Network (TURN). “No limits to how many times the public utilities commission can say yes.” Toney says basic gas and electric service has become unaffordable for many, and it’s time the legislature set limits. Toney says basic gas and electric service has become unaffordable for many, and it’s time the legislature set limits.

PG&E says that compared to last month, the cost of using gas in your home will go up an average of $9 a month, while those on discounted rates will see a $7 increase. It will actually be less expensive for customers to turn on their lights. Regular customers will see electric bills go down an average of $1 a month compared to last month, while those on discounted rates will see their average monthly bill go down $8.50.

Source: KRCR-TV Chico | By Hannah Gutierrez

Mark Toney, Executive Director of The Utility Reform Network, spoke with KRCR about 10 rate increase requests currently pending, which could result in bill increases of $30 to $40 a month if most requests are approved. “High utility prices lead to homelessness, because people are getting evicted, and it’s a roadblock to climate change action. If you think your bills are too high, and they need to come down, call your state assembly member, call your state senator, call the Governor," Toney said. Toney added that customers experienced six rate increases in 2024, resulting in roughly a $60 bill increase per month.

PG&E reports that customers who do not currently benefit from monthly discounts will see their electric rates remain the same. Customers using 31 therms with 'supply and demand' from the company will see gas bills increase by $9 monthly; Those with discounts will see an increase of around $7.

Source: San Francisco Standard | By Kevin Truong

Mark Toney, executive director of the Utility Reform Network, said PG&E has more rate increase proposals scheduled to go in front of regulators in the coming months. “When you open your bill, you get the initial rate shock, but you also get hit with the impact of higher energy prices at the grocery store,” Toney said. “High energy prices filter down to nearly everything you buy.” He said the reduction in wildfires caused by PG&E is evidence that the utility is taking steps to improve safety, but he takes issue with the lack of oversight of its spending. For instance, he pointed out that PG&E has prioritized burying power lines, an expensive and labor-intensive method, over insulating them, which is roughly five times cheaper. “2024 has been pretty harsh on PG&E ratepayers,” Toney said. “We’re campaigning for affordable power, the ability to cap and limit rate increases, and new guidelines for spending and overspending.”

PG&E had profits in 2023 of $2.24 billion, a 24% increase from the previous year, and is on track to earn more in 2024. The company’s share price is up more than 12% from the beginning of the year, and its last reported quarterly profit, $791 million, exceeded Wall Street analyst expectations. All told, PG&E saw profits of more than $2 billion in the first three quarters. The Utility Reform Network, a nonprofit that advocates for imposing regulatory guardrails, is trying to pass state legislation that would stop utilities from being able to pass along to customers the costs of lobbying or advertising. A previous version of the bill died this year in committee.

Source:SF Chronicle | By Julie Johnson

“The rates need to come down,” said Matthew Freedman, a staff attorney with The Utility Reform Network, an advocacy group for ratepayers. Electricity rates have increased more than 50% compared to 2022 and by about 80% compared to 2020, according to Freedman.  Freedman said the Public Utilities Commission is considering additional electricity rate increases for 2025. “The fact that Jan. 1 rates are relatively flat compared to 2024 is not encouraging,” Freedman said. 

The California Public Utilities Commission voted Thursday to allow PG&E to collect $38 next year, or about $3.20 per month, from average residential customers — slightly less than PG&E requested — to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in San Luis Obispo County running longer than planned. Commissioners also approved PG&E’s plan to charge average residential customers $18 next year, about $1.50 monthly, to cover other annual costs for generating and buying electricity. Another increase approved Thursday won’t hit customer bills until March 2025: $40 per residential customer collected over 12 months, or about $3.40 monthly, for the company’s 2020 tree trimming costs. That year, the state stepped up its oversight of the company’s vegetation management work due to wildfire safety concerns. 

Source: San Jose Mercury/Bay Area News Group | By George Avalos

Mark Toney, executive director of consumer group The Utility Reform Network, said the difference in financing costs could benefit customers. “We have to make sure PG&E doesn’t just spend the money on their pet projects but spends every dollar on projects that the PUC has determined will provide the greatest public benefit to the ratepayers,” Toney said. “The customers are the ones who are going to have to pay this back.”

PG&E said an expected record-setting $15 billion federal loan guarantee will help customers save money on an array of critical projects, but multiple advocacy groups warn that the investor-owned utility’s ratepayers may face higher bills.

Source: KGO, ABC 7 | By Suzanne Phan

Mark Toney is Executive Director with TURN, The Utility Reform Network. "This loan allows PG&E to make needed investments in wildfire safety in expanding the grid to serve more customers," said Toney. PG&E says the money could also be invested into lowering costs for its customers. Toney questions that. "We believe that reducing ratepayer bills is a high priority," said Toney. "PG&E has had four rate increases that went into effect in 2024 and there are two more rate increases on this Thursday's Public Utility Commission agenda.” TURN says the loan overall is a win for California.

PG&E could be getting a record $15 billion loan from the U.S. government. The money will be used to help modernize PG&E's power grid. The conditional low-interest loan is supposed to help pay for a number of costly energy projects. Supporters say the loan could end up saving PG&E bill payers a lot of money in the long run.

Source: ABC 30 | By Kate Nemarich

In the long run, TURN (The Utility Reform Network) says the interest rate the utility would receive from the federal government instead of a corporate structure will be lower. Before energy customers get too excited about the prospect of lower bills, TURN Executive Director Mark Toney warned costs could still hit your wallet. "It's a loan and guess who's going to pay it back. It is not going to be the shareholders. It's going to be you and me on our monthly bills," said Toney. "So, by itself, this is not going to reduce rates. It will reduce rates if the Commission says, you know what PG&E you have to use some of this money for rate relief, that would be an example.” Toney said if it is his organization will be pushing for proper oversight on how the money is spent. "There are two more rate increases for PG&E on the agenda," said Toney. "Now, if both of them get passed. that will be 6 rate increases in one year. Talk about record breaking. People are already paying $60 more on average each month then at the end of last year.” Toney said customers need to attend or call into the CPUC meeting at 11 am Thursday, December 19th to advocate against further rate hikes and to continue to reach out to their legislators and the governor's office.

The California Public Utilities Commission is set to vote on yet another rate hike for PG&E customers Thursday. If the four rate hikes from earlier this year are any indication of how they will vote, we'll see more. PG&E is on track to get a $15 billion loan from the US Government.

Source: USA Today | By Betty Lin-Fisher

"Customers may be losing a choice for reliable service," said Regina Costa, telecommunications policy director for The Utility Reform Network (TURN) in California. Costa, who also chairs the telecommunications committee for the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, said copper wire technology landline service is the most reliable format for calls because the phone lines still work when there is a power outage, earthquake, or other natural disaster.

AT&T plans to eliminate its traditional landline phone service across nearly all U.S. states in its service area by 2029, according to an official announcement. The wireless carrier has said its copper wire infrastructure is antiquated, maintaining it is costly and better service is available through fiber and wireless broadband networks.

Source: NBC San Diego | By Sergio Flores

“And that’s a lot of money, especially with rising costs, and the highest utility rates in the country,” said Lee Trotman with The Utility Reform Network (TURN), which pushes for more affordable energy rates in California. Trotman said he completely agrees with a letter San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s sent to the CPUC, arguing against the proposal's approval. It also warns the city will continue to analyze the feasibility of forming a public power entity as it continues to track SDG&E’s performance. “You kind of force the utilities to say, ‘Whoa, we have competition now, we can’t raise our rates so high,' ” Trotman said.

As of Jan. 1, a family that currently pays $320.36 a month for electricity will pay $328.95 if the proposal gets approved. That is a 2.7% increase. When it comes to gas, the average $57.91 bill would go up to $62.95. An 8.6% increase.

Source: KQED | By Katie DeBenedetti

“What that’s going to do, if the PUC agrees with it, is it’s going to be another rate increase for PG&E customers,” says Lee Trotman, a spokesperson for the Utility Reform Network, or TURN.

Electricity rates could be going up again if PG&E’s most recent request for a spending increase is accepted by California regulators. The request follows three temporary rate increases over the past year and a much larger general rate adjustment approved in 2023. PG&E’s rates have doubled over the past decade, which it says is the result of its heightened need to mitigate wildfires and handle repairs after increasingly severe storms.

Source: ABC7 | By Dion Lim

"It's death by a million cuts. It's just a nonstop rate hike after a rate hike," said Lee Trotman of The Utility Reform Network (TURN). "Right now, you're paying an average of $50 more than at the beginning of the year," Trotman said.

PG&E customers could see another increase in their utility bills. If approved, this would mark the fifth rate hike in 2024. ABC7 News looked into where the money is going and what can be done to curb future increases.

Source: Fox26 Fresno | By Liz Gonzales

“Absolutely the focus should be on the CPUC because they’re the decision makers,” says Mark Toney, Executive Director of The Utility Reform Network—or TURN. Toney has been working for more than a decade, advocating for changes on utility rates and changes at the CPUC. He’s calling for greater transparency from commissioners. He's asking they publicly discuss rate hikes as an Agenda Item in meetings, rather than the Consent Calendar—where items are batched together and decided with a simple yes or no vote, with no discussion.

PG&E customers have seen their rates rise four times in 2024. Each of those rate increases has been approved by the California Public Utilities Commission.

Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat | By Marisa Endicott

PG&E will end a new program offering billing services for a company selling home protection plans that caused confusion and concern from customers. That applies to the partnership with HomeServe as well as the consolidated billing offering with any other company for the time being, she said. PG&E started notifying customers who signed up on Friday. In October, HomeServe said more than 5,000 PG&E customers had enrolled. Those continuing with a protection plan will now receive bills from HomeServe and will pay the company directly. Those seeking to cancel can call HomeServe at 1-833-572-2846.

Source: MSN| By Jaxon Van Derbeken

"PG&E s rates now are simply unaffordable," said Matt Freedman, with the Utility Reform Network (TURN). He noted that currently, one out of three low-income families is struggling to pay power bills. "If that amount of money were returned to customers now, it would result in an 8% rate decrease for customers that are served by PG&E," he said.

While electricity bills have skyrocketed this year, the market price for the power we’ve been using has been far less than PG&E estimated – creating the potential for some refunds. Each year, the utility predicts what the average price of power will be to establish the rate on your bill. While the actual price was considerably lower than PG&E had estimated this year, customers still pay the higher rate on their bills.

Source: KSRO Radio |

Matt Freedman, with the Utility Reform Network says if the money was returned, it would effectively translate into a 8-percent rate decrease. PG&E sets higher rates based on their annual estimates, but this year’s costs were lower.

This year, electricity bills have surged, but the actual cost of power has been much lower than PG&E’s predictions. The difference could lead to potential refunds for customers

Source: Bay Area News Group (San Jose Mercury) | By George Avalos

“Gov. Newsom’s executive order is an important first step to solving the affordability crisis facing California families, small businesses, steel and glass makers, manufacturers, and agriculture producers,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, or TURN, a consumer group. Both PG&E and TURN said they looked forward to cooperating with the governor’s office to help tackle the utility bill woes that confront millions of California electricity and gas customers.

While it’s unclear if the executive order will have any immediate effect, it does come at a time when PG&E bills have zoomed at a pace that’s eight times faster than the Bay Area inflation rate. In 2023, PG&E’s monthly bills for residential customers soared 22.3%. Over the same 12 months, the Bay Area inflation rate rose 2.6%

Source: Courthouse News Service | By Alan Riquelmy

Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, in a statement called the executive order an important first step in addressing the state’s affordability crisis that families, small businesses and others face. “TURN looks forward to working with the governor’s staff on affordability strategies not in the [executive order] that will save ratepayers billions in spending, including setting limits on utility overspending, requiring least cost solutions to wildfire safety, and public financing options to reduce the cost of wildfire safety capital investments,” Toney said. 

California regulatory agencies have taken the brunt of public outcry over high utility prices for months. The state’s Public Utilities Commission regularly hears angry, even threatening, comments related to electricity prices. Newsom’s executive order seeks to assuage those concerns. The governor also ordered the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, and asked the utilities commission, to examine wildfire safety practices, ensuring that investments are cost effective.

Source: San Diego Union Tribune | By Rob Nikolewski

The Utility Reform Network, the San Francisco consumer group commonly known as TURN that often weighs in on utility issues, called Newsom’s executive order “an important first step to solving the affordability crisis” facing California ratepayers.

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Wednesday aimed at finding ways to reduce rising electricity bills that beleaguered customers pay each month — although the order did not offer specific dollar figures and timetables. Newsom’s executive order calls for “smarter wildfire mitigation investments” by directing state regulators to evaluate utility oversight and ensure that spending is “focused on cost-effective” measures. The order also:

—calls on the California Public Utilities Commission to identify underperforming programs and return any unused money to utility customers through credits on their bills

—asks the utilities commission review the costs of regulations of various programs, pursue federal funding options to help lower electric bills and directs the California Energy Commission to look at cost-saving measures, and

—instructs the California Air Resources Board to find ways to increase the California Climate Credit that utility customers receive two times each year.

Source:The Press Democrat | By Marisa Endicott

“While this is clearly optional — there’s no question about that — I think a lot of people feel it’s tone deaf coming on top of record breaking bills,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, who said his organization has also received inquiries about the partnership. “They say they’re working to reduce costs, but this is pushing an optional service, an insurance product, that some people will benefit from and most won’t because that’s how insurance is supposed to work.”

One of the seven pages in the mailer explains that HomeServe is not an affiliate of PG&E and that the utility “is not responsible for, and does not endorse or provide guarantees for, plans offered by HomeServe.” But the packet also contains a letter from a PG&E vice president, Chris Zenner. “We have some exciting news to share with you!” he writes. “As a valued PG&E customer, you have access to home protection plans from HomeServe.” He goes on to say that “HomeServe is a trusted provider of home protection programs” and that customers can now enjoy “the convenience of” having the company’s charges added to their PG&E bill. It also provides PG&E with revenue in the form of a fee paid by HomeServe for billing and payment processing services. Most of that fee “is used to lower rates, keeping the prices customers pay lower than they otherwise would be,” according to a PG&E webpage, although Paulo declined to provide a percentage.

Source: San Diego Union Tribune | By Rob Nikolewski

Mark Toney, executive director at The Utility Reform Network (TURN), a consumer advocacy group that testified during the proceeding, says SDG&E ratepayers are already getting socked financially. “The bottom line is that this is the worst time for San Diego and Southern California customers to be hit with major increases to both utilities.” TURN criticized the commission for issuing the proposed decision so late. “What that means is the increase is going to be magnified because they have to catch up,” Toney said. “The delay magnifies the rate shock.”

San Diego Gas & Electric customers would pay 2.7% more on their electric bills starting next year while customers with natural gas hookups may pay almost 9% more, according to a proposed decision released Friday afternoon by the California Public Utilities Commission. According to the proposed decision, typical SDG&E residential customers using 400 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month would pay $170.87, which represents a $4.46, or 2.7%, increase compared to what they currently pay. The percentage increase would be the same for customers enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) financial assistance program.