As authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission, the California 20/20 Rebate Program will again be available this year for residential and small commercial customers.  The program begins for electricity used for four months starting with the first billing period that begins on or after July 1, 2005.  Rebates earned will appear as a one time credit after the program concludes October 31, 2005.  

Facts about 20/20 rebates

• Single family residential and small commercial customers who reduce their electric average daily usage by an average of 20% from July 1, 2005 – October 31, 2005, compared to the same four-month billing period in 2004, will receive a one-time bill credit equal to 20% of their electric charges billed during the 20/20 season.  The earned credit will be applied to customer bills at the end of the 20/20 season. 
• Customers do not need to enroll in the program in order to participate. 
• CARE customers are eligible.
• Customers must have at least one year of electric billed history at their current premises and must have maintained their SDG&E account at the same premises since June 30, 2004 and continue to maintain the same account throughout the 20/20 season.

Master-metered accounts

Master-metered customers with sub-metered tenants will receive the credit based on the electric consumption from the master meter.  Master-metered customers must distribute any utility credit to their sub-metered tenants based on California Public Utilities Code 739.5 (b).  

“Every master-meter customer of a gas or electrical corporation…who…receives any rebate from the corporation shall distribute to, or credit the account of, each current user served by the master-meter customer that portion of the rebate which the amount of gas or electricity, or both, consumed by the user during the last billing period bears to the total amount furnished by the corporation to the master-meter customer during that billing period.”

As an example, if a master metered account is able to reduce its consumption by an average of 20% over the four-month period, a credit will be applied to the November bill. As per PU Code 739.5, this credit will be passed back to tenants based on their previous billing period. If the tenant’s consumption was 5% of the master metered bill, the tenant will receive 5% of the rebate.

If you need additional information on how to interpret or apply this code, please contact the California Public Utilities Commission at 1-800-649-7570.  Any other questions about the 20/20 Rebate program may be referred to SDG&E at 1-800-411-SDGE (7343).