SDG&E

RATEPAYER RELIEF: SDG&E ANNOUNCES MARCH NATURAL GAS COMMODITY PRICE TO DROP 83% COMPARED TO JANUARY

 

Average gas bill expected to decrease by $140 relative to January

East County News Service

February 28, 2023 (San Diego) – After hitting a historic high in January due to unprecedented natural gas market conditions in the West that resulting in a doubling of consumers' gas bills, San Diego Gas & Electric announced today that the March natural gas commodity price has declined by approximately  83% compared to January 2023, plunging from $3.45 per therm to $0.60 per therm.

The typical residential customer’s gas bill (commodity plus delivery charges and other mandated fees and taxes) is expected to decrease to about $85 in March, from  around $225 in January. This is the second month in a row that natural gas commodity prices are going down. The reduction in wholesale natural gas price is driven in part by the restoration of service to an out-of-state pipeline.


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SDG&E WANTS TO RAISE YOUR RATES OVER NEXT FOUR YEARS: HEARINGS IN MARCH INCLUDE SAN DIEGO LOCATION

Public can also submit comments online, by phone, or by mail

February 23, 2023 (San Diego) – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has applied for a general rate increase starting in 2024.  SDG&E wants to grow revenues by $449 million (17.6%) in 2024. This application also includes requested increases of 10.5% in 2025, (9.2% in 2026, and another 7.7% in 2027.

 If approved, the first year increase alone would hike the average monthly electric bill by $9 a month and gas by $9.60 a month, or $18.60/mo. total. Combined, that’s over $220 a year for the average ratepayer – with some homeowners and businesses paying far more. By 2027, the average ratepayers would pay $285.91 more per year than today.

Three hearings are slated on the proposed price hikes, conducted by an administrative law judge for the Calif.Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The first two are virtual on March 6 and 15, the third is in-person in San Diego on March 23 in both afternoon and evening.

Coming on the heels of a doubling of natural gas prices locally in January, on top of utility rates that are already among the highest in the nation, SDG&E’s proposal has sparked outrage. Of 395 public comments received so far on the CPUC website, all voiced anger and 100% are opposed to raising rates.

SDG&E says it wants its customers to help pay for infrastructure projects including putting power lines underground to prevent fires, building more electric vehicle charging stations, and modernizing the electric grid.  SDG&E bases its rate increase proposal on the assumption that energy use will double by 2045.


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SDG&E RESPONDS TO OUTAGES, HIGH WINDS: OFFERS TIPS TO KEEP CUSTOMERS SAFE DURNG WINTER STORM

East County News Service

February 22, 2023 – The storm has caused power outages amid frigid weather in some parts of East County. While power has been restored in most areas, power went down in parts of Borrego Springs last night due to weather affecting SDG&E equipment, and is not expected to be restored until this evening.  Borrego resident Nikki Symington posted on Facebook, “I am freezing. No electricity since 9 last night."

According to SDG&E, “Last night at its peak 11,000 SDG&E customers were without power during the night, in addition to momentary outages caused by high winds. Crews have made significant progress in restoring thousands of customers and are working to restore remaining customers as quickly and safely as possible.”

The utility states that to protect the safety of its customers, employees and communities, the company has taken proactive steps to prepare for winter storms this week, with the strongest storm due this weekend. A news release from SDG&E states, “In anticipation of these storms, SDG&E increased the number of field crews and equipment available to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. The company’s meteorology team is also monitoring weather conditions minute-by-minute to help provide situational awareness to crews working hard to maintain the infrastructure that serves our communities. However, preparedness is a community effort, and the company encourages all of its customers to have a plan in place in case of unplanned outages.”

To help customers prepare for the upcoming storm, the company is sharing the following safety tips to help keep you and the region safe:


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SDG&E HIKES RATES: SOME WILL PAY DOUBLE FOR NATURAL GAS, ELECTRIC RATES ALSO RISE

UCAN denounces rate hikes as unaffordable for consumersSDG&E has assistance programs, energy saving tips

East County News Service

 

January 4, 2023 (San Diego)  Effective January 1, San Diego Gas & Electric is more than doubling natural gas rates. SDG&E is also raising electricity rates, since natural gas generates 40% of electricity in the U.S. The utility cites the rising cost of natural gas nationwide as the main reason for raising rates. The national spike is due in part to record cold across much of the nation that has depleted supplies, as well as the U.S. exporting some natural gas to aid European allies cut off by Russia due to the Ukraine War.


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UTILITY CUSTOMERS URGED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF REBATES OF UP TO $500 FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT PRODUCTS & APPLIANCES

Source:  SDG&E

November 21, 2022 (San Diego) - San Diego Gas & Electric customers looking to save money are encouraged to take advantage of a new statewide program offering rebates of $20 - $500 for energy-efficient water heaters, room air conditioners and smart thermostats.


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MATCHING FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR AREA TEACHERS TO BOOST STEM AND ANTI-RACISM EDUCATION

This is the 5th year that SDG&E is supporting educators through the DonorsChoose Crowdfunding Platform

Source:  SDG&E

November 4, 2022 (San Diego) - Ahead of STEM/STEAM Day on Nov. 8San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced today that it is providing $250,000 in shareholder funds as matching dollars to help teachers supplement classroom learning with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects, as well as racial equity and inclusion education. This is the fifth year that SDG&E is partnering with DonorsChoose, a nonprofit crowdfunding platform that empowers public school educators to post their projects online and raise donations to fund them. 


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SDG&E WILDFIRE SAFETY AND POWER SHUTOFF PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP SEPT. 7

East County News Service

September 6, 2022 (San Diego) – You’re invited to join SDG&E on Wednesday, September 7 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in a virtual workshop in wildfire safety and public safety power shutoff preparedness. Find out how you can make a difference.


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STATE GRID OPERATOR ASKS ALL CALIFORNIANS TO CONSERVATE ENERGY TO PREVENT OUTAGES: SDG&E OFFERS TIPS TO CUT ENERGY USE DURING FLEX ALERT

Source:  SDG&E

August 31, 2022 (San Diego) - In response to a voluntary Flex Alert issued this afternoon by the state grid operator due to high temperatures, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is urging customers to visit its website to learn about simple actions they can take to reduce their energy use while still staying cool.


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SDG&E AND CAJON VALLEY UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT FLIP THE SWITCH ON REGION’S FIRST VEHICLE-TO-GRID PROJECT FEATURING LOCAL ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES CAPABLE OF SENDING POWER TO THE GRID

First live demonstration of bi-directional charging since launch of the federal cross-sector collaboration initiative to rapidly commercialize technology

Source: SDG&E

July 26, 2022 (San Diego) - Today, San Diego Gas & Electric announced that it has successfully deployed an innovative technology that enables eight electric school buses to put electricity back on the grid when needed such as on hot summer days. A collaborative effort between SDG&E, the Cajon Valley Union School District and locally based technology company Nuvve, this is the first vehicle-to-grid (V2G) project to become operational in Southern California, helping to advance clean air and climate goals while also bolstering grid reliability. 


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WHY ARE ELECTRIC AND GAS PRICE HIKES SO HIGH? WHAT CAN YOU DO?

By Pennell Paugh and Miriam Raftery

April 5, 2022 (San Diego) – SDG&E rolled out rate hikes starting January 1 that raised prices around 11% on electricity (7.6% for residential customers), a hike approved by the California Public Utilities Commission. But some consumers have been shocked to find far larger spikes in their bills early this year, a problem compounded by a spike in natural gas prices fueled by cold weather and global supply issues, Voice of San Diego reports.


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SDG&E CUSTOMERS TO GET BILL CREDITS IN APRIL, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER

California Climate Credit to offset natural gas bills by as much as $171.40, hopes to encourage residents to invest in clean energy options

Source:  SDG&E

March 27, 2022 (San Diego) - In the coming months, San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) residential customers will receive a break on their utility bills – up to $171.40 in bill credits, thanks to the California Climate Credit program. Administered by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the program is part of the state’s efforts to fight climate change.


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AUDIT: CALIFORNIA UTILITIES AREN’T DOING ENOUGH TO REDUCE WILDFIRE THREATS

By Julie Cart, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Camp Fire via U.S. Forest Service

March 27, 2022 (San Diego) - As record-breaking drought fuels another potentially dangerous wildfire season, the state auditor reported today that state officials are failing to hold California’s electric utilities accountable for preventing fires caused by their equipment.


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SDG&E WARNS OF UTILITY SCAM CALLS

Fraudulent, yet sophisticated, robocalls tell customers that their service will be disconnected within the hour and demand immediate payment

Source: SDG&E

February 13, 2022 (San Diego) – SDG&E is warning of a new round of scammers targeting utility customers. The robocalls tell customers that their power will be turned off within the hour and direct them to press “1” to reach customer service, where they demand immediate payment to keep service in place. This scam is troubling because the calls sound professionally produced and claim to connect customers to the billing and collections department. If the scammers do not reach a person on their first call, then they will likely call back or leave a message with the same instructions.


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SDG&E AND CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST ANNOUNCE COMPLETION OF MAJOR FIRE-HARDENING PROJECT

With project’s completion, 30% of electric infrastructure in San Diego’s backcountry has been fire-hardened
 
East County News Service
 
Photo by Miriam Raftery:  new power poles in Pine Valley
 
January 24, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and the Cleveland National Forest announced today the completion of the Cleveland National Forest Fire Hardening and Safety (CNF) Project, a cornerstone of the San Diego region’s community fire safety and electric system-hardening efforts.

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POWER OUTAGES BEGIN: THOUSANDS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY ON THANKSGIVING

 

By Miriam Raftery

November 25, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – SDG&E has shut off power to 5,311 customers as of 10 a.m. Thanksgiving morning.  Another 47,934 are at risk of outages amid a red flag warning for extreme fire danger and high winds. 

So far, these are the communities without power:  Alpine, Boulevard, Descanso, Jamul, Pala, Pauma Valley, and Potrero as well as the Campo, Cuyapaipe, La Jolla, Pauma, and Viejas reservations.Many more areas are on a list of potential outages to come.

View an outage map and click on your community for estimated power restoration times:  https://www.sdge.com/residential/customer-service/outage-center/outage-map   Some areas are listed as likely to be without power until Saturday.

SDG&E has opened several community resource centers where residents can get water, ice, snacks, and preparedness supplies, car power inverters, solar-powered batteries, radios, and update on outages.  View map at https://www.sdge.com/resource-centers.


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TIPS FOR COPING WITH THANKSGIVING IF THE POWER GOES OUT

By Miriam Raftery

November 22, 2021 (San Diego) – With SDG&E warning over 28,000 customers in 38 communities of possible power outages Thursday through Saturday due to high fire danger, how can you salvage Thanksgiving dinner plans with your family?  Here are a few ideas:

1. Cook your turkey and side dishes on Wednesday. You can serve sliced turkey and sides cold, or cook or reheat on a covered  camp stove on your patio outdoors, but keep a water bucket handy if you cook on any open flame.

2. Barbecue the bird!  If you have a rotisserie or smoker, you can cook the whole turkey outdoors. Or carve it into slices and cook the [pieces on your gas-powered or charcoal-fired barbecue.

3.. Plan a picnic outside with side dishes that can be served cold. How about a yam potato salad instead of baked yams?  Or a balsamic green bean salad instead of green bean casserole?  Opt for smoked turkey slices with pre-chilled cranberry-orange sauce or other embellishments.

4. Consider ditching traditional turkey for smoked salmon or a gourmet charcuterie board instead.


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SDG&E WARNS OF POWER SHUTOFFS OVER THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY DUE TO FIRE DANGER: OUTAGES COULD LAST DAYS

Update November 24, 2021:  SDG&E has widened its list of possible outage areas to include more than 53,000 customers. See the updated list of impacted communities here:  https://www.sdge.com/psps-dashboard

By Miriam Raftery

November 22, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) -- Before you stock up on turkey and other groceries for a feast, be aware that San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is asking customers in 38 local communities to prepare for potential Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) over the Thanksgiving holiday.


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ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS PROTEST AT “POLLUTING” SDG&E POWER PLANT IN EL CAJON

East County News Service

Photos by Roger Coppock

August 21, 2021 (El Cajon) – SD350, an environmental and climate change action group, held a march with dozens of activists today to protest SDG&E’s Cuyamaca Peak gas-fired power plant at 200 N. Johnson Avenue in El Cajon.


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COUNTY RESIDENTS ASKED TO TAKE PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFF SURVEY

By Miriam Raftery

July 3, 2021 (San Diego) -- The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services is asking all County residents to fill out a survey about the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program.  The SDG&E program to shut off power during high fire-risk conditions has sparked controversy across the backcountry among residents left without electricity to power their homes, businesses, wells pumps, and other vital needs. The deadline to complete the survey is July 13.

The survey asks residents whether they received adequate notification of such outages and whether they experienced financial losses, among other details – the first step toward documenting impacts of the program and potentially leading to changes.


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SDG&E LAUNCHES NEW MATCHING FUND PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS TO SUPPORT ANTI-RACISM EDUCATION AT LOCAL SCHOOLS

Local teachers invited to request resources that promote anti-racism through the DonorsChoose platform

Source:  SDG&E

June 22, 2021 (San Diego) - Over the past year, teachers across our region and the nation have had many teaching moments related to racial and social justice. To support educators’ ongoing efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in their classrooms and at their schools, San Diego Gas & Electric has established a new grant program with $250,000 in shareholder funding. Teachers who request anti-racism learning materials through the nonprofit crowdfunding platform DonorsChoose, will have donations to their pro jects matched with $2 for every $1 that they raise. receive two dollars in matching funds for every dollar they raise.


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ACTIVISTS URGE CITY TO REJECT UTILITY FRANCHISE DEAL WITH SDG&E

Some experts say ratepayers could be on hook for up to $20 under
loophole in proposed law
 
By Miriam Raftery
 
June 5, 2021 (San Diego) – On Tuesday, the San Diego City Council will have its second reading of a proposed utility franchise agreement with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). But a coalition of public interest,  environmental and racial justice groups are calling on the Council to overturn its earlier 6-3 approval of the plan. Only four votes are needed to block the agreement, since a supermajority of two-thirds is required for passage.

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SDG&E CUSTOMERS TO RECEIVE BILL CREDIT IN APRIL, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER

California Climate Credit helps offset bills by a total of $87

Source:  SDG&E

March 24, 2021 (San Diego) - San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) residential customers will receive a break on their utility bills in the coming months, thanks to the California Climate Credit program, which is part of the state’s efforts to fight climate change. In April, natural gas customers will see their bill reduced by $17.86. This summer, SDG&E electricity customers will also see their bills offset by $34.60 in climate credits in both August and September (or a total of $69.20), when energy use typically goes up due to hot weather.


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SDG&E WINS APPROVAL TO ELIMINATE HIGH USAGE CHARGE

Company filed application in 2018 asking regulators to get rid of state-mandated charge and provide bill relief to customers

Source: SDG&E

 

March 15, 2021 (San Diego) -- San Diego Gas & Electric customers will no longer have to worry about getting hit with the state-mandated High Usage Charge (HUC) – a substantially higher price for electricity that kicks in for customers once their energy usage exceeds a certain threshold.


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30,000 AT RISK OF POWER SHUTOFFS DEC. 23-24 DUE TO RED FLAG WARNING

By Miriam Raftery

December 22, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – SDG&E has notified around 30,000 customers that their power could be shut off due to high fire danger.  The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of Southern California due to possible strong winds from 8 a.m. Wednesday through 12 p.m. Thursday, Christmas Eve. The communities at risk range from El Cajon east to Campo, north to Escondido and mountain areas such as Julian, and as far south as Potrero near the border.

The threat of losing electricity in mid-winter during Christmas week is disheartening for backcountry residents, many of whom have stocked up refrigerators and freezers for holiday feasts. ECM has received complaints from residents who report SDG&E refused to reimburse them for food spoiled during other recent outages. Coming at a time when many are without jobs or have businesses with little income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the prospect of financial losses due to power outages or worse, a wildfire are particularly troubling.


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SDG&E RESTORES POWER TO OVER HALF OF CUSTOMERS, BUT MANY RESIDENTS VOICE ANGER OVER SHUT-OFFS DURING COLD WEATHER

By Miriam Raftery
 
December 4, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – As of Friday morning, 32,797 customers of San Diego Gas & Electric remain without power, two days after the utility shut off electricity to more than 73,000 customers. SDG&E implemented the widespread planned outages to prevent power lines from sparking fires amid a red flag warning due to dry conditions and gusty Santa Ana winds.

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SDG&E OPENS RESOURCE CENTERS AFTER CUTTING POWER TO 73,000 CUSTOMERS

By Miriam Raftery

December 3, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- SDG&E announced this morning that is has cut power to over 73,000 customers due to high winds and fire danger. The utility also announced,  that at 8 a.m. it will open 10 Community Resource Centers  at local libraries or community centers to provide support to those affected by Public Safety Power Shutoffs. The ceners will have water, snacks, charging stations for mobile phones and other devices, and in some areas, water trucks for livestock. (Bring your own vessel to transport water).

For locations of Community Resource Centers and updates on outages in your community, visit http://sdge.com/ready For safety, CDC guidelines will be enforced.

SDG&E reports record wind speeds recorded at its weather stations including gusts up to 94 miles per hour.


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POWER OUTAGES ACROSS EAST COUNTY COULD LAST DAYS AMID HIGH WINDS, RED FLAG WARNING

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

December 2, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – SDG&E has shut off power to 22,000 homes tonight as winds up to 76 miles per hour have been recorded in parts of East County.  A red flag warning is in effect starting tonight through Saturday at 10 p.m. for inland valleys and mountains countywide due to low humidity and strong winds with gusts of 60 miles per hour or more.

SDG&E earlier  warned 88,700 customers of potential for prolonged public safety shutoffs that could last several days. Tonight, power has been shut off to thousands of residents in areas that include Alpine, Boulevard, Campo, Deerhorn Valley, Dehesa, Descanso, Jacumba, Jamul, Julian, Pine Valley, Potrero, Ramona, Rancho San Diego, Spring Valley, Valley Center, Warner Springs, Wynola and more. Power could be off through Sunday or Monday, according to SDG&E.

Brian D’Agostino, SDG&E’s director of fire science and climate adaptation, will provide a video briefing daily before 3 p.m. for the duration of the weather event. These video briefings will be available on SDG&E’s YouTube channel. The link to today’s briefing is available here. SDG&E will also be posting hourly updates on its NewsCenter at sdgenews.com, as needed.


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READER’S EDITORIAL: BACKCOUNTRY RESIDENTS NEED SOLAR SYSTEMS TO ASSURE SAFETY WHEN SDG&E SHUTS OFF POWER

By Kiki Skagen Munshi, Julian

November 26, 2020 (Julian) – Regarding your article, SDG&E warns 2,700 customers of potential public power shutoffs after Thanksgiving: The real story is why SDG&E is doing this when the Santa Ana Wind Threat Index (SAWTI) forecast is only for “Moderate” fire danger in San Diego County and only for Friday.  This is a pattern that has become almost normal with SDG&E, threatening to shut off power the conditions aren’t very bad.  It was annoying in summer but it’s now winter and cold….and not all of us have wood stoves.


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SDG&E WARNS 2,700 CUSTOMERS OF POTENTIAL PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFFS AFTER THANKSGIVING

East County News Service

Nov. 25, 2020  (San Diego’s East County)  – Stock up on coolers to keep your Thanksgiving leftovers chilled.  Due to a Red Flag Warning  issued by the National Weather Service and forecasted Santa Ana winds, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has notified approximately 2,700 customers in the communities of Alpine, Campo Reservation, Crestwood, Descanso, Julian, La Posta Reservation, Manzanita Reservation, Pala, Santa Ysabel, Santa Ysabel Reservation, Valley Center and Viejas Reservation, that it may have to turn off power to reduce wildfire risk beginning early Friday morning.      

 “The last thing we want to be telling any of our customers right now is that we may have to shut off power given the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and the ongoing COVID pandemic,” said SDG&E’s Chief Customer Officer Scott Crider. “Public Safety Power Shutoffs are a last resort to prevent wildfires, and our employees are dedicated to doing everything we can to minimize impacts should it come to that. We’re hoping Mother Nature cooperates, but in an abundance of caution we have reached out to our customers so they can be prepared.”

Several hundred SDG&E linemen, troubleshooters and support personnel will be working on Thanksgiving Day and through the holiday weekend to ensure that power can be restored as quickly and as safely as possible, should safety power shutoffs occur.


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SDG&E JOINS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS OF UTILITY IMPOSTER SCAMS

Source: SDG&E
 
November 18, 2020 (San Diego) -- As part of Utility Scam Awareness Week (Nov.16-20), SDG&E is joining electric, water and natural gas utilities across the country to educate customers about utility imposters who prey on people’s reliance on essential services to cheat them out of money. To date, in 2020 alone, SDG&E customers have reported over 25,000 scams. That translates into nearly 80 per day.
 
“Scammers target our customers year-round, but we want everyone to be even more vigilant during these unprecedented times, as new waves of scams have emerged amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With more people staying at home or possibly facing financial difficulty, scammers try to take advantage of the situation,” a statement from SDG&E indicates.
 
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