Struggling Southern California households could have up to $8,000 in unpaid electric bills wiped away — if they qualify for an Edison program that forgives the debt after 12 months of on-time payments.
Southern California Edison offers an Arrearage Management Plan to help customers wipe out past-due electric bills.
Eligible customers who make 12 on-time monthly payments can have up to $8,000 in debt forgiven, according to the utility.
Customers must be enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) discount programs, have used Edison for at least six months, owe more than $500 and have made at least one payment in the past two years.
Californians have been plagued by skyrocketing energy bills, which has become an issue in the governor’s race.
Edison’s residential rates rose about 83% between 2015 and 2025, according to the California Public Utilities Commission’s Public Advocates Office. About 1 in 5 California households under investor-owned utilities are behind on electric bills.
Californians have seen their energy bills spike by 39% over the past six years — the most by far of any state, according to UC Berkeley’s Haas Energy Institute — thanks in part to the destructive wildfires that have torn through Los Angeles and other areas, and policy choices that have shoved costs on to rate payers.
SoCal Edison’s assistance program was started in 2021, and by 2024, 10,000 Southern California households were enrolled, the Victorville Daily Press reported.
Other utilities also offer similar programs across the state, including PG&E for much of Northern California.
PG&E even launched a Match My Payment Program that offers a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $1,000, on past due electric bills. Every dollar spent by a customer on a bill will get a same-sized credit on a past bill.
Electric companies say they’re trying to help Californians as much as possible with rising costs.
“We know how challenging it can be for families to keep up with bills in so many aspects of daily life, and we’re focused on delivering meaningful support,” Vincent Davis, a PG&E executive, told Fox 40.
