ByI need help paying my PG&E bill, what do I do?
If you find yourself thinking, ‘I need help paying my PG&E bill,’ we have to say that it doesn’t come as a surprise. Gas and electric bills have been on the rise for as long as we can remember. There are millions of people struggling to pay for their bills, and the fact that 40% of Americans can’t afford at least one basic need like food only proves it.
Living in this day and age comes with many privileges, but also major setbacks—prices of almost anything are going through the roof.
Being aware of the issues that you face daily is what fueled our desire to help. With that in mind, we’ve decided to provide a solution with numerous features that aim to soothe the consequences that the modern world has brought upon your financial stability. That solution is DoNotPay.
How can DoNotPay help me pay my PG&E bills?
We at DoNotPay want to assist you during the biggest hardships. If you want to find out how we can help you pay your PG&E bills, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:
- Access the DoNotPay app through your
- Select the ‘Corona Relief’ option
- Tell us what you need help with
- Provide some basic information about yourself
If you’re thinking but what kind of information?—it’s quite simple. What we need to know is:
- Your full name
- Your residential address
- Your email address
- The reason behind your inability to pay your PG&E bills
One of our main goals was to make our platform as user-friendly as possible. The idea was that anyone who knew how to perform a Google search could use DoNotPay with ease. We take pride in achieving that because we want the app to be accessible to people of all ages and education levels.
I need help understanding my PG&E bills
You’re not alone. There are so many Americans who have no idea what certain items on their bills stand for. It almost feels like you need to have a Ph.D. to be able to comprehend your bills fully.
We believe that knowledge is power. To help you understand your PG&E bills better, we’ve made a list of items that are most likely to appear on your bills:
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Item |
What it stands for |
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Billing Summary | In this section of your bill, you will see how much electricity and gas you have consumed during the latest billing cycle. It’s also possible that you’ll find an item that tells you how much you paid the previous month under this section. |
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Usage Profile | This section of your PG&E bill is supposed to show you how much energy you consume in comparison to the previous month, and sometimes even a year. The point of the section is to make you more aware of your energy consumption. |
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Billing Details | It is also likely that you will find the ‘Billing Details’ section in your PG&E bill. Smaller charges, such as transmission, generation, and distribution charges, will show up here. You should also be able to see what your rate per kWh is in this section. |
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Energy-saving tips | All of PG&E’s bills come with tips on how to save on energy. |
To be able to understand the amount of money you have to set aside for your PG&E bills, you have to be aware that wholesale costs are getting more and more expensive as time passes. Does it justify the price you have to pay, though? We don’t think so.
Utility suppliers are well-known for overcharging consumers. If you have a fixed income and struggle to pay your bills each month, it’s time to get some help for it. One of the first steps you can take is to start looking for errors.
How can I look for errors?
You may be surprised to hear this, but bills are packed with all sorts of errors. Some of them are easier to spot than others. If you want to know what kind of errors you should be on the lookout for, check for these:
- Services you’ve canceled, but got charged for
- Services you’re unfamiliar with
- Services you’ve never received
- Duplicate items
Services you’ve canceled
As soon as you cancel a service, make sure to look for it in your next bill. Suppliers and companies often either forget to or purposefully don’t remove canceled services. If you notice one in your next bill, call PG&E’s customer service team immediately.
Services you’re unfamiliar with
If you detect a service that you’ve never seen before on your PG&E bill, don’t hesitate to contact the supplier right off the bat. Ask what that service is supposed to be and how it found its way to your bill. For all you know, it’s possible that it’s an old service that got renamed—but it’s also possible that they’re trying to overcharge you purposefully.
Services you’ve never received
If you see a new service listed among other bill items that you’ve never even received, call PG&E and ask for clarification. Perhaps it was an accident, but don’t just assume it. Let them explain whatever it is that you don’t understand.
Duplicate items
Duplicate items are the most common type of mistake that you’ll find in any of your bills. They’re super easy to spot, so don’t overlook them. As soon as you find one, call your supplier and let them know of this mistake.
Do you feel like you don’t have what it takes to find all of these mistakes? Get in touch with a consumer rights advisor! These people are experts in their field, so don’t be shocked if they find multiple mistakes in three seconds.
It doesn’t matter whether you choose to do the work and contact PG&E on your own, or if you want to consult a consumer rights advisor first. The only important thing is that you don’t stay silent once you come across an issue. Fight for your rights!
Has PG&E wronged you? We can help you send demand letters to them
If you feel like Pacific Gas and Energy has wronged you in any way, DoNotPay can help you send demand letters to them in small claims court by guiding you through the whole process. We can help you with writing a demand letter and provide you with a script of what you should say in court.
In early 2020, DoNotPay was recognized by the American Bar association and given the Louise M. Brown Award for Access. This just proves our dedication to helping our users when they need it the most.
Can I negotiate my PG&E bill?
Yes, you can negotiate your PG&E bill. If you come from a low-income household, you are much more likely to have a successful negotiation. The sooner you get yourself in the mindset that anything is negotiable, the better for your future well-being. Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance—there are many more people out there who are just like you. There is nothing wrong with being unable to cover every single financial aspect of living.
If you feel like bill negotiation will be the best fit for your specific needs, you should know that there are a few ways to tackle this matter:
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Financial aid options |
How to go about it |
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Consumer rights advisor |
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Organizations that help pay bills |
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Price negotiation |
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Organizations that help pay bills
If you want to look for an organization that’s going to help you pay your PG&E bills, we’ve found some of the best and most popular ones. Check them out:
- Modest Needs
- Citizens Energy Corporation
- The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- The Salvation Army
- Weatherization Assistance Program
- The 2-1-1 Program
Before you apply for any of these organizations’ financial aid, make sure that you do your homework and research all the possibilities. Once you compare them all, don’t forget to ask what their help entails.
If you don’t want to waste any time, you should consider using DoNotPay. We will provide you with the best solutions to your specific needs in no-time. Access the DoNotPay app either through your to find out how we can help.
Can I apply for a loan to pay off my PG&E bill?
Yes, you can apply for a loan to pay off your PG&E bill. We wouldn’t advise you to do it, though. Getting yourself deeper into debt is probably not the best idea right now. If no other option works out for you, or if you want to go for this option anyway, make sure that you do some heavy research on the matter. Be responsible and think twice before you sign that contract.
Can I pay my PG&E bill with my credit card?
Yes, absolutely. If you want to use your credit card to pay your PG&E bill, you should only be aware of how it could affect your credit scores. Beware of this—if your bill is enormous, you’re going to damage your scores severely. In case your bill isn’t through the roof, don’t hesitate to use your credit card!
Can I ask for a waiver on late fees for my PG&E bill?
Yes, if you believe that asking for a waiver on late fees for your PG&E bill is the best option for you, go for it. There are a few ways to ask for it, you can:
- Do it in-person
- Consult a lawyer
- Consult a consumer rights advisor
- Call PG&E’s customer support team
- Send a letter
If you want to do it in-person or call PG&E’s customer support team, you should know that both of these are time-consuming options. They won’t be your best bet if you don’t have much time on hand.
Consulting a lawyer is going to cost you, and if you don’t have enough money to cover some of the most basic necessities, you probably won’t be able to afford a lawyer consultation either.
The easiest and most fuss-free way of asking for a waiver on late fees is to send a letter with the help of DoNotPay. If you wonder how we can help you with this matter, it’s quite simple—we can generate a letter using your information and send it in your stead if that’s what you’d like us to do.
Since our goal is to make this whole process as easy on you as possible, we can do all the hard work in your stead. Being in an emergency is stressful, and we want to relieve you of that anxiety.
The whole process will take up to 48 hours for us to complete, though it usually takes a lot less. We understand that you need to get things done as soon as possible, and that’s why we make sure to finish everything in no time. When in need, you can always rely on DoNotPay.
Can I ask for an extension date for my PG&E bill?
Yes, if you believe that asking for an extension date for your PG&E bill is the best choice for your needs, go for it! You can deal with this option in a few ways:
- Calling PG&E’s customer support team
- Sending a letter
- Going there in-person
Calling your supplier’s customer support team and going there in-person are both time-consuming options, as we’ve already mentioned. You can send an efficient letter with the help of DoNotPay. All you need to do is:
- Access the DoNotPay app through your
- Select the ‘Corona Relief’ option
- Tell us what you need help with
- Give us some basic information about yourself
- Tell us what the reason behind your inability to pay your PG&E bill is
- Let us know if you’d like us to send the letter in your stead
As soon as you finish this, we will start resolving your issue. Don’t worry about how the letter will end up looking—we’ve got lots of experience in writing letters behind us. We know what makes a good letter.
The only important thing is that the person who receives it finds it sensible and decides to react upon it. With our help, there’s little chance of failure.
How can I save on gas and electricity?
If you want to make a long-term impact on your PG&E bills, it would be a good idea to start saving on gas and electricity. To make things easier for you, we’ve put together a list of options that are proven to be the most effective:
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Replace your traditional light bulbs with energy-efficient ones. | Energy-efficient light bulbs have been on the market for a long time, contributing to a major drop in price. The competition is dense, meaning that you will be able to find super affordable energy-efficient light bulbs. They also last ten times longer than traditional ones, which is a huge plus. |
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Stop using tumble-dryers! | Tumble-dryers waste much more electricity than you can imagine. Instead of drying your laundry in this machine, start doing it outside or on a clothes horse. It’s going to take a lot longer, but we assure you that it’s going to be worth it at the end of the month. |
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Make sure that your pots and their lids are a match made in heaven. | If you have a gas stove, make sure that the lids of your pots fit perfectly. Whatever you’re cooking is going to start boiling or be done much more quickly. This will save you lots of gas. |
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Reduce your thermostat. | Reducing your thermostat by just a couple of degrees (i.e., from 70F to 68F) is going to have a big impact on your gas bill. Even though it sounds like an insignificant change, it goes a long way. |
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Don’t keep the heat on when you’re not home. | If you make sure to turn off your heating any time you leave the house, you will save on your gas bills a lot more than you might think. It might be annoying at first, but you’ll form a habit of doing it, so don’t worry. |
How else can DoNotPay help me?
DoNotPay has lots of different features that enable us to help our users when they need it the most. We update our app with new features all the time, so make sure to stay up-to-date by joining the platform through your .
Among other things, we can:
- Help you jump the phone queue when reaching out to customer care teams
- Dispute your traffic tickets
- Get refunds for all canceled or delayed flights
- Fight your speeding tickets
- Make virtual credit cards that cancel free trials before you get charged
- Cancel any subscription or membership
- Contest your parking tickets
- Help you send demand letters to companies of all sizes in small claims court by guiding you through the process
- Scheduling a DMV appointment for you super quickly
- Help you pay any other bill