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February highlights from the world of EBCE include: California Climate Credits coming early, another chance to win an induction cooktop, more local sponsorships, and a reminder to update your true-up preferences if you're a Net Energy Metering (NEM) customer! |
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 Photo: California Public Utilities Commission Headquarters in San Francisco (Credit: CPUC)
Due to high natural gas prices, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has announced that the spring Climate Credit will arrive on bills two months earlier than usual, exact date to be announced.
What is the California Climate Credit? Every Spring and Fall residential customers (and qualifying small businesses) see a line on their energy bill called the “California Climate Credit.” The October credit is a credit for electricity, and the April credit is for both for electricity and natural gas. This credit is your share of a state program that requires power plants, natural gas distributors, and other large industries that emit greenhouse gases to buy carbon pollution permits. The program is part of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 32), which was instituted to reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The credit is delivered to you by your utility company, though the money comes from the state, and will be applied to your bill as soon as possible, per the CPUC approval. The amount of your Climate Credit is the same whether or not you are an EBCE customer. Customers who receive natural gas service from PG&E will receive a $90.17 credit on an upcoming bill. Customers who only receive electricity service will receive a $38.39 credit.
Natural gas prices this winter have risen dramatically and long spells of cold weather have increased demand. PG&E bills are on average 32% higher than they were at this same time last year and the early credit will hopefully ease some of the financial stress surrounding energy bills. Read more about the CPUC decision here.
As a reminder, natural gas is a PG&E service and is a part of your PG&E bill. EBCE does not sell natural gas, however, as another part of your monthly energy bill, we wanted to spread the word!
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Photo: Still from EBCE's Chocolate Covered Strawberries Induction Tutorial
Enter this month’s Partners and Pals edition of the Clean Cooking Contest!
Post a photo or video of something you’ve cooked on induction, and you could win a cooktop. Need inspiration? Watch our chocolate covered strawberries tutorial featured above! Read the full contest rules here.
And congratulations to the New Year Nibbles
contest winner, Julie P. of Oakland!
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 Photo: Still from video highlighting local sponsorship recipient Fertile GroundWorks
Thinking of applying for a local sponsorship? Watch this video highlighting the work of previous awardee, Fertile GroundWorks.
Local organization shout-out: in 2021 EBCE awarded a community sponsorship grant to Fertile GroundWorks in Livermore. Fertile GroundWorks’ mission is to teach and empower people and communities to increase their health, wellbeing, and self-reliance by organically and sustainably growing food for themselves and others. Produce from their principle teaching garden, Garden of Grace, is donated to local food pantries. The organization also works to facilitate the creation and sustainable operation of community, school and employee gardens. EBCE is proud to support their mission. Watch the video.
Learn more and apply here for a local sponsorship by March 31st.
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Photo: Still from EBCE's NEM 2023 Billing options video.
Are you a solar NEM customer? We recently updated our billing options to offer both annual and monthly true-ups. You can change your preference annually before March 1. Learn more.
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Community Advisory Committee | 2/13 at 6pm
Board of Directors | 2/15 at 6pm
Executive Committee | 2/24 at 12pm
Community Advisory Committee | 3/13 at 6pm
Board of Directors | 3/15 at 6pm
*Please note: Board of Directors Meetings, Community Advisory Committee Meetings, and Executive Committee Meetings are now held in a hybrid format.
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