The Base Services Charge may cause your bill to increase or decrease compared to a bill without the Base Services Charge. Generally, the lower volumetric charges per kilowatt-hour (kWh) will help offset the Base Services Charge, but is dependent on a  customer's specific level of usage. Customers with higher-than-average usage may see a bill decrease, while customers with lower-than-average usage, who are not on income-qualified program, may see a bill increase. 

This change will not impact participation in your current rate plan (e.g. Time-of-Use or Tiered) or any other programs or discounts you receive, like Medical Baseline Allowance, California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA).

Your Base Services Charge is not based on your energy use and cannot be lowered by reducing your energy consumption. Customers cannot opt out of paying the Base Services Charge. Residential homes are connected to the grid and require the necessary infrastructure to receive power. You can find out if you’re eligible for an income-qualified discount such as California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) to see if you qualify for a lower Base Services Charge. Visit sce.com/assistance.

You can visit sce.com/assistance to learn about ways to lower your energy usage or see if you qualify for income-based discount programs such as California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA). You can also see if you qualify for free energy-efficient appliances through our Energy Saving Assistance (ESA) program at sce.com/esa.