What Is This $159.60 Credit on My SDG&E True-Up Bill?
What Is This $159.60 Credit on My SDG&E True-Up Bill?
You open your annual SDG&E true-up bill, and there it is:
Electric Meter Charges and Payments: $ (159.60)
You might be wondering:
“Did I accidentally pay a month of electricity without realizing it?”
The answer is: no, you didn’t — and it’s not a mistake.
That $159.60 is your California Climate Credit — a twice-a-year refund issued to residential utility customers statewide.
💡 What Is the California Climate Credit?
The California Climate Credit is part of California’s strategy to reduce carbon pollution. It’s a state-funded rebate that appears automatically on utility bills for residential customers.
“You don't need to do anything to receive the credit – it is automatically applied to your bills.”
— CPUC Climate Credit
Key points:
- Funded through cap-and-trade carbon pollution fees
- Available to all residential electric customers
- Not tied to how much energy you use
- Applied either twice per year or once, depending on your utility
🧮 Why Does SDG&E Show $159.60?
If you’re an SDG&E customer, your climate credit is split into two payments each year:
$81.38 (Spring) + $78.22 (Fall) = $159.60
If your true-up bill is issued in May, you may see both amounts grouped together as:
Electric Meter Charges and Payments: $ (159.60)
In this case, it’s simply a combined total of your calendar-year climate credits, applied as a single adjustment at the end of your billing year.
📅 Calendar-Year Credits vs. Billing-Year Bills
The CPUC issues these credits based on the calendar year, but if you’re on a solar/net-metering plan or annual true-up schedule, your billing cycle might bundle them together at year’s end — which is why they often go unnoticed.
Even if you didn’t see a reduced bill in April or October, your annual summary reflects both payments.
📊 Climate Credit Amounts by Provider (Electric Customers Only)
| Utility | Credit per Payment | Total Annual Credit | Typical Credit Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDG&E | $81.38 + $78.22 | $159.60 | April + October |
| PG&E | $61.94 + $61.94 | $123.88 | April + October |
| SCE | $51.00 + $51.00 | $102.00 | April + October |
| Liberty | $50.94 (one payment) | $50.94 | April |
| Bear Valley | $81.38 (one payment) | $81.38 | April |
| PacifiCorp | $61.94 (one payment) | $61.94 | April |
📌 Note: These are for electricity customers only.
Many customers also receive a separate gas credit — usually in April.
🧭 Recap: What You’re Seeing
- ✅ $159.60 is your California Climate Credit
- 🗓️ It’s the total of two calendar-year payments: Spring + Fall
- 🔁 If you’re on an annual billing cycle (like many solar/NEM customers), it will show up all at once
- 🌎 Everyone gets it — you don’t need solar, and it’s not based on usage
Still curious when your last credit hit your account?
Use our Dashboard Tool to track past billing and credit activity over time.
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