Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced a $50 million commitment in 2026 to assist customers with overdue energy bills through its Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH) and Match My Payment programs.
The company is increasing the REACH program benefit this year, allowing eligible customers who have received a disconnection notice to receive up to an $800 bill credit, up from last year’s maximum of $300. The Match My Payment program will continue to match eligible customer payments dollar-for-dollar, up to $1,000. To qualify for this program, customers must make a payment of at least $50 toward a past-due balance of $100 or more. Customers can receive multiple matches during the year without needing a disconnection notice.
Recipients of the REACH program are also prequalified for up to $1,000 on their past-due balance through the Match My Payment program. This could provide qualifying households with combined assistance of up to $1,800 while funds last. Both programs use federal income guidelines for eligibility. For example, a family of four earning less than $128,600 may qualify for the Match My Payment program, which has higher income limits compared to REACH.
In 2025, these two programs provided about $23 million in aid to over 64,000 customers.
“We receive heartfelt messages from our customers every day about how much these programs mean to them. These stories remind us of the real impact our programs have on the lives of our customers, and we are committed to continuing to make a difference,” said Vincent Davis, Chief Customer Officer and Senior Vice President, Customer Experience.
Funding for both programs comes from PG&E and is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications are processed by Dollar Energy Fund (DEF), a nonprofit organization contracted by PG&E.
This latest commitment follows PG&E’s reduction in residential electric rates by 5% as of January 1, 2026. According to PG&E, this marks the fourth rate decrease within two years and results in residential electric rates that are now 11% lower than they were in January 2024—translating into about $20 less per month on an average residential bill.
PG&E offers additional support options for income-eligible customers such as Medical Baseline—which provides reduced rates for those dependent on electricity due to medical needs—and encourages all customers seeking savings or assistance to visit pge.com/billhelp.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company serves over sixteen million people across Northern and Central California. More information can be found at pge.com and pge.com/news.
