California utility laws give residential customers a specific set of rights: itemized bills, advance notice before any shutoff, income-based discounts, protection from unauthorized service changes, and a direct route to file complaints with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The CPUC regulates investor-owned electric, gas, water, and telecommunications companies, sets the rates they can charge, and enforces the rules below. Publicly owned utilities and small water systems follow parallel state statutes.
What a Legal Utility Bill Must Show
Your bill is not just a total due. For metered water service, the CPUC requires the bill to display the previous and current meter readings, the service charge, quantity charges with per-unit rates, the Public Utilities Commission surcharge, applicable taxes, the billing period, a usage comparison against the same period last year, and the past-due date.1California Public Utilities Commission. Standard Practice on Bills and Forms – U-15-W Electric and gas bills from investor-owned utilities follow similar itemization standards under CPUC tariff rules.
Rate increases are not up to the utility alone. PG&E, Southern California Edison, and other investor-owned utilities must file rate adjustment proposals with the CPUC, which opens a public review process before any change takes effect.2California Public Utilities Commission. CPUC Decision and Review Process Consumers and advocacy groups can challenge proposed increases during that review.
When a Utility Can and Cannot Shut Off Your Service
Gas and Electric
The CPUC requires a three-step disconnection process for residential gas and electric customers. First, a 15-day written notice mailed to the customer. Second, a 48-hour written notice. Third, an outbound phone call on the day of the scheduled shutoff offering a payment plan.3California Public Utilities Commission. Overview of Bill Protections and Disconnection of Service to Residential Gas and Electric Customers Customers on life support or the Medical Baseline program get in-person visits instead of the mailed 48-hour notice; if no one answers the door, the utility must leave a door hanger.
Water
Under the Water Shutoff Protection Act (Senate Bill 998), a water system cannot shut off residential service until the bill has been delinquent for at least 60 days. The system must contact you by phone or in person at least three business days beforehand and offer options such as deferred payments, an alternate payment schedule, or a bill review. If it cannot reach you or any adult at the residence, it must visit the property and leave a shutoff notice in a visible spot. Shutoff policies must be published in English, Spanish, and any other language spoken by at least 5 percent of people in the service area.4LegiScan. California Senate Bill 998 – Discontinuation of Residential Water Service
Medical Conditions
Public Utilities Code Section 779 bars an electric, gas, heat, or water utility from terminating residential service when three conditions are met: a licensed physician certifies that shutoff would be life-threatening, the customer cannot pay within the normal billing period, and the customer agrees to a payment arrangement.5California Legislative Information. California Code PUC 779 Qualifying customers can spread the unpaid balance over up to 12 months.
The CPUC’s Medical Baseline Program is a separate benefit tied to medical need rather than income. If you rely on life-support equipment, have a life-threatening illness, or use a motorized wheelchair, you receive extra gas and electricity allowances billed at the utility’s lowest tier rate.6California Public Utilities Commission. Medical Baseline Enrolled customers also receive extra advance notifications before any Public Safety Power Shutoff.
After a Bankruptcy Filing
Federal law adds another layer. Under 11 U.S.C. Section 366, a utility cannot alter, refuse, or disconnect service solely because you filed for bankruptcy or owe past-due amounts. To keep service running, you must give the utility adequate assurance of future payment within 20 days of filing. Acceptable forms include a cash deposit, letter of credit, surety bond, or prepayment. Once you provide that assurance, service must continue even if the bankruptcy discharges the old debt.
Discounts and Hardship Assistance
Two CPUC programs cut monthly costs for income-qualified households. The California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program provides a 30 to 35 percent discount on electricity and a 20 percent discount on natural gas. Households whose income slightly exceeds the CARE limits may qualify for the Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) program, which discounts electricity by 18 percent.7California Public Utilities Commission. CARE/FERA Program – Discounts on Energy Bills for Income Qualified Households
The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps pay heating and cooling bills. For 2025/2026, a family of four in California generally qualifies with household income below $48,225 (150 percent of the federal poverty level), though the state can set its own threshold within federal guidelines.8The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories
On the water side, SB 998 requires water systems to waive reconnection fees and to reduce or waive interest charges on delinquent bills for residential customers with household income below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.4LegiScan. California Senate Bill 998 – Discontinuation of Residential Water Service
Unauthorized Service Changes and Charges
Slamming is when a telephone company switches your service provider without permission. Public Utilities Code Section 2889.5 prohibits any telephone corporation from changing a customer’s provider without a verification process. For residential customers, an independent third-party verification call must confirm the switch, and the company initiating the change must send written notification by mail within 14 days.9California Legislative Information. California Code PUC – Section 2889-5 If you did not authorize the switch and notify the company within 90 days, your service must be switched back at the offending company’s expense.
Cramming, meaning unauthorized charges added to your bill, is handled through the same CPUC complaint process. The agency accepts informal complaints, where staff works with the utility to resolve the issue; formal complaints, where the CPUC can order corrective action; and dedicated slamming and cramming complaints.10California Public Utilities Commission. File a Complaint
Renters and Shared Meters
Older buildings sometimes have gas or electric meters that measure usage beyond a single unit, meaning a tenant ends up paying for common-area lighting, another apartment, or a shared laundry room. California Civil Code Section 1940.9 requires landlords to disclose this before the tenancy begins or as soon as they learn of it. The landlord must then either reach a written agreement with the tenant about paying for the shared usage or make other arrangements, such as putting the meter in the landlord’s name or separately metering the outside area.11California Legislative Information. California Code CIV – Section 1940-9
If a landlord fails to disclose shared metering, a tenant can sue. Remedies include forcing the landlord to become the customer of record for the meter and ordering reimbursement for overpayments dating back to when the disclosure obligation first arose.12California Legislative Information. California Code CIV 1940.9
Utility Debt and Your Credit Report
Utility companies can report late payments and unpaid balances to the credit bureaus. Under Regulation V (12 CFR Part 1022), which implements the Fair Credit Reporting Act, any entity furnishing information to credit bureaus must establish written policies for accuracy and data integrity. Before or after reporting negative information, the utility must give you a clear statement such as: “We may report information about your account to credit bureaus. Late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account may be reflected in your credit report.”13eCFR. Part 1022 Fair Credit Reporting (Regulation V)
You can dispute inaccurate utility reporting either directly with the utility or through the credit bureau. The utility must conduct a reasonable investigation, particularly if the dispute involves your liability for the debt or its terms. An unpaid utility balance sent to collections can damage your credit for years, even after you move.
Choices That Change Your Electric Bill
Rooftop Solar Compensation
If you install rooftop solar, how the utility credits you for exported energy changed in April 2023. The prior Net Energy Metering program credited exports at roughly the full retail rate. The current Net Billing Tariff, which the investor-owned utilities call the Solar Billing Plan, credits exports at a rate reflecting the value of that generation to the grid. That rate is usually lower than retail but can rise above it during late summer evenings when demand spikes.14California Public Utilities Commission. Net Energy Metering and Net Billing
Residential PG&E and SCE customers who apply to interconnect before the end of 2027 receive a temporary export compensation adder that provides slightly higher credits for nine years. Customers on the Net Billing Tariff must enroll in specific time-of-use rate plans with lower off-peak prices and higher on-peak prices. Bills settle monthly rather than annually, so there is no surprise lump-sum true-up.14California Public Utilities Commission. Net Energy Metering and Net Billing
Community Choice Aggregation
Many Californians get their electricity generation from a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) rather than directly from the investor-owned utility. A CCA is a program run by a city, county, or group of local governments that buys or generates electricity for residents and businesses in its territory. The investor-owned utility still handles transmission, distribution, metering, and billing.15California Public Utilities Commission. CCA Regulatory Information
When a CCA launches in your area, you are automatically enrolled unless you opt out in writing. CCAs often offer higher percentages of renewable energy than the utility’s default mix. CCA customers pay a Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) so that customers who stayed with the utility are not left paying for energy originally procured on the CCA customers’ behalf.15California Public Utilities Commission. CCA Regulatory Information
Public Safety Power Shutoffs
Investor-owned utilities can proactively cut power to electrical lines when strong winds or extreme weather create a significant risk of wildfire. The CPUC treats de-energization as a measure of last resort.16California Public Utilities Commission. Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS)
Utilities must follow strict notification rules before, during, and after PSPS events, and they must file a report within 10 days after each event under Resolution ESRB-8. Later rulemaking added Community Resource Centers (staffed locations where affected residents can charge devices, get water, and access services), critical facility coordination, and outreach to customers with access and functional needs. Utilities that fail to comply face citations through the CPUC’s PSPS Citation Program.16California Public Utilities Commission. Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS)
How to File a Complaint
Start with the utility’s customer service. If that does not resolve the issue, file with the CPUC. You can submit an informal complaint, where CPUC staff mediates with the utility; a formal complaint, where the CPUC can order corrective action; or a safety complaint for hazards involving gas, electric, or water infrastructure.10California Public Utilities Commission. File a Complaint Slamming and cramming have their own dedicated complaint track. Rate case hearings are open to public comment, and consumer advocacy groups regularly intervene in CPUC proceedings.
Federal jurisdiction is a narrower slice. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) oversees interstate electricity transmission and natural gas pipeline rates, including transportation and sale of natural gas and interconnection of generation facilities.17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 7172 – Jurisdiction of Commission For most residential billing, shutoff, and service disputes in California, the CPUC is the agency to contact.