Our office and call center will be closed Monday, September 2 in observance of Labor Day.
Additional help is on the way, as Clean Power Alliance (CPA) continues to do all it can to assist our customers who have fallen behind on their electricity bills during the COVID-19 pandemic. The California Arrearage Payment Program (CAPP) is a new program distributing $1 billion in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to help address California energy utility customers’ energy debts. The program provides a one-time credit to reduce past-due energy bill balances accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Established by Governor Newsom and the California Legislature in the 2021-2022 State Budget, the program is administered by the Department of Community Services and Development (CSD).
CPA provided the necessary arrearage data and a CAPP funding allocation of nearly $16 million has been approved for CPA. Eligible CPA customers will automatically receive their benefit. Please note: Customers do not need to do anything. These CAPP credits will help get many of our customers back on track with their electricity bills and allow them to pay their bills on time moving forward. One of the primary purposes of the program is to provide additional support to customers at risk of disconnection.
All CPA customers who have unpaid bills from the COVID-19 Pandemic Bill Relief Period (March 4, 2020, to June 15, 2021) are eligible for CAPP. However, not all eligible customers will necessarily receive a credit. The State of California’s payment guidelines are based on customer need and eligible charges billed during the COVID-19 Pandemic Bill Relief Period. Qualified customers will receive the credit in this order:
1. Active residential customers
2. Inactive residential customers
3. Commercial customers
Because of limited funding, we do not anticipate that non-residential customers will receive a CAPP credit. In addition, customers who are on special rates, including Medical Baseline, California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA), Disadvantaged Community (DAC) business partners, military, and first responders, are not currently prioritized for the CAPP credit.
It is anticipated that CPA customers receiving a CAPP credit will have the credit applied to their bill during the first half of February 2022. The credit will appear as a payment on the billing statement.
To view the California Department of Community Services & Development’s CAPP Frequently Asked Questions Page click here.
Questions? Reach out to our Customer Support Team at customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org or 888-585-3788.