The steepest rate climb in the country
Pacific Gas & Electric's average residential electricity price has risen from 18.03 cents per kWh in 2015 to 39.91 cents in 2025, an increase of about 121 percent, or roughly 8.3 percent per year. The chart compares PG&E (solid) against the state residential average (dashed). Hover any point for the exact figure.
What rising PG&E rates could cost you
PG&E rates have risen about 8.3% per year. Enter your bill to see what that pace of increase could compound to over time, and what you have likely already absorbed. This is an estimate, not a guarantee.
Estimate only. Projects your current bill forward at PG&E's historical average rate increase (8.3% per year, from EIA data); it assumes your usage stays the same except for any add-ons you select. Actual rates depend on your usage, rate plan, and the utility's future filings, and are not guaranteed. This is general information, not financial advice.
Current residential rates
PG&E residential rates are shown below, from the utility's published tariffs and the public Utility Rate Database. Rates vary by plan, season, and usage and change over time.
| Plan | Energy charge | Fixed / basic |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 Tiered | Tier 1 (up to baseline) 33 cents/kWh; Tier 2 (over baseline) 41 cents/kWh | ~$24.00/mo Base Services Charge (CARE ~$6, FERA ~$12) |
| E-TOU-C (default time-of-use) | Summer (Jun-Sep) peak 4-9pm ~52 cents, off-peak ~40 cents (above baseline); Winter (Oct-May) peak ~40 cents, off-peak ~37 cents | ~$24.00/mo Base Services Charge (CARE ~$6, FERA ~$12) |
| E-ELEC (Electric Home) | Summer peak 4-9pm ~55 cents, off-peak ~33 cents; Winter peak ~32 cents, off-peak ~28 cents | ~$24.00/mo Base Services Charge (CARE ~$6, FERA ~$12) |
Per-kWh prices and the ~$24/month Base Services Charge are PG&E's official residential rate-plan figures effective March 1, 2026 (PG&E residential rate plan pricing sheet and PG&E Base Services Charge newsroom page). The March 2026 restructuring moved fixed infrastructure costs into the Base Services Charge (~$24 standard, ~$6 CARE, ~$12 FERA/affordable housing) while lowering per-kWh prices by an estimated 5-7 cents; PG&E states it does not increase total revenue collected. E-TOU-C off-peak prices carry a baseline credit, so effective off-peak prices below the baseline allowance are a few cents lower than the above-baseline figures shown. Exact prices vary by climate zone and baseline territory; rounded to the nearest cent.
The March 2026 restructure
About $24 a month now sits where solar cannot reach
PG&E's March 2026 rate restructuring moved fixed infrastructure costs into a Base Services Charge of roughly $24 per month (about $6 for CARE customers, about $12 for FERA) while lowering per kWh prices by an estimated 5 to 7 cents. For solar homes the fixed charge matters: panels offset energy charges, not fixed monthly charges, so that portion of the bill stays regardless of how much you generate. Factor it into any payback estimate.
NEM 3.0 on PG&E: exports in single digits
PG&E solar customers who interconnected on or after April 15, 2023 are on California's NEM 3.0, formally the Net Billing Tariff (NBT). Exported solar is no longer credited at the full retail rate (the old NEM 2.0 model). Instead, exports are credited at hourly avoided-cost values from the CPUC's Avoided Cost Calculator, which vary by month, hour, and weekday/weekend. In practice the export credit averages only about 3 to 8 cents/kWh, roughly 75-85% below the ~33-55 cents/kWh retail price you pay for grid power. Because midday solar exports are worth so little while evening grid power is expensive, NEM 3.0 strongly favors pairing solar with a battery: store your midday surplus and use it during the 4-9pm peak instead of exporting it cheaply and buying it back high. Customers grandfathered on NEM 1.0/2.0 keep retail-rate netting for their remaining transition period.
What 8.3 percent a year means for panels
The raw rate story is the strongest solar argument PG&E hands you: about 8.3 percent average annual increases, with retail power in the 33 to 55 cent range depending on plan and hour. Self-consumed solar offsets some of the most expensive residential electricity in the country.
Two structural facts cut the other way. NEM 3.0 credits exports at hourly avoided cost values averaging roughly 3 to 8 cents, so surplus is worth little without a battery to shift it into the 4 to 9 pm peak. And the roughly $24 monthly Base Services Charge is untouchable by generation. Run the numbers with both included, and get a site-specific quote.
PG&E service area
PG&E serves Northern and Central California, an approximately 70,000-square-mile service territory spanning from Eureka in the north to Bakersfield in the south, including San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Fresno, and surrounding rural areas..
To confirm whether a specific address is served by PG&E, check your electricity bill. A ZIP lookup tool is coming to this site.
Full data and sources
Per-utility prices are computed from EIA Form 861 (bundled residential revenue divided by sales), which reconciles to the EIA's published figures. The state average comes from EIA retail-sales data. These are public-domain U.S. government data.
| Year | PG&E (c/kWh) | State avg (c/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 18.03 | 16.99 |
| 2016 | 19.94 | 17.39 |
| 2017 | 21.18 | 18.31 |
| 2018 | 22.22 | 18.84 |
| 2019 | 22.35 | 19.15 |
| 2020 | 23.65 | 20.45 |
| 2021 | 25.86 | 22.82 |
| 2022 | 30.98 | 25.84 |
| 2023 | 34.04 | 29.51 |
| 2024 | 39.62 | 31.97 |
| 2025 | 39.91 | 32.54 |
Sources: EIA Form 861 annual data (Sales_Ult_Cust files, 2015-2024) · EIA Table 6 - 2024 Utility Bundled Retail Sales - Residential (sales/revenue/price) · PG&E residential rate plan pricing sheet (effective March 1, 2026) · PG&E Electric Rates / tariff information · PG&E Base Services Charge (restructured bill, March 2026) · CPUC - Net Energy Metering and Net Billing (NEM 3.0) · PG&E Company Profile (service area, customer counts)
FAQ
How fast have PG&E rates risen?
About 8.3 percent per year on average over the past decade per EIA Form 861 data, reaching roughly 39.9 cents per kWh in 2025, the steepest climb of any utility covered on this site.
What is the PG&E Base Services Charge?
A fixed monthly charge of about $24 (about $6 CARE, about $12 FERA) introduced in the March 2026 restructuring, which moved fixed infrastructure costs out of per kWh prices. Solar generation cannot offset it, since it is not tied to usage.
What does PG&E pay for exported solar?
Systems interconnected on or after April 15, 2023 are on NEM 3.0, where exports earn hourly avoided cost credits that average about 3 to 8 cents per kWh, well below retail. Customers grandfathered on NEM 1.0 or 2.0 keep retail rate netting for their remaining transition period.
Is a battery worth it in PG&E territory?
NEM 3.0 was practically built to reward one: storing midday production and using it during the 4 to 9 pm peak replaces power priced around 40 to 52 cents on the default TOU plan instead of exporting it for single digits. Whether the added cost pays back depends on your usage and plan, so get a site-specific quote.
Do CCA customers follow the same solar rules?
Many PG&E area households buy generation through a community choice aggregator while PG&E delivers the power. Export compensation then depends on the CCA's program terms, so check with your CCA before assuming NBT rates apply unchanged.