By Susan Cox

Southern California Edison

More Southern California Edison customers may qualify for financial assistance to help pay their utility bills through an assortment of income-qualified programs that offer bill discounts and free energy-efficiency products and services, SCE announced last week.

Effective June 1, income guidelines for 2018-19 income-qualified programs — California Alternate Rates for Energy, Family Electric Rate Assistance and Energy Savings Assistance — have been updated and may increase the number of SCE customers eligible for financial support. These programs aid low-income customers facing economic hardships or who need help paying their utility bill, particularly those on limited incomes or who participate in at least one of 10 government public-assistance programs.

“We’re here to support our customers and help those eligible for CARE and FERA income-qualified programs lower their monthly bill and electricity usage,” said Jill Anderson, SCE vice president for Customer Programs and Services. “The recent income guideline changes will help SCE serve even more eligible customers who qualify for these and other programs.”

The CARE program provides SCE’s income-qualified customers a discount of about 30 percent on monthly electric bills. More than 1.2 million SCE customers are already enrolled in this program.

The FERA program gives a 12-percent discount on monthly electric bills to qualified households of three or more.

Under the Energy Savings Assistance program, customers may qualify for a free, new, energy-efficient replacement refrigerator, light bulbs or other energy-saving appliances, or energy-conservation services that can help them save money on their SCE electric bill.

To learn more about SCE’s income-qualified programs, visit sce.com/billhelp or call 1-800-736-4777.