How far back California utilities refund overcharges
Three years of overcharges, or the actual months of the error if shorter. Here is the rule behind it, what starts or limits the clock, and what it means for a business with a billing error in California.
California at a glance
| California | |
|---|---|
| Rule | PG&E Electric Rule 17.1 and Gas Rule 17.1, under rules the CPUC set in Decision 86-06-035 |
| How far back refunds go | Three years of overcharges, or the actual months of the error if shorter |
| What starts or limits the clock | Calculated back from when the error is found |
| Interest | Refunded without interest under the rule |
| Regulator | California utility commission |
What it means for a refund claim in California
- California's investor-owned utilities carry billing-error rules in their tariffs; PG&E's Rule 17.1 is shown here.
- Non-residential customers can also be back-billed for up to three years of undercharges, so a rate-class review cuts both ways.
- Read the utility's tariff rules on billing and meter error too: tariffs often repeat or extend the commission rule.
- Municipal utilities and cooperatives usually set their own billing rules.
Discovery Energy reviews 36 to 48 months of history on every account and pursues the longest period each jurisdiction allows. See how overcharge recovery works, or compare California with every other state.
Sources
- PG&E Electric Rule 17.1 and Gas Rule 17.1, under rules the CPUC set in Decision 86-06-035
- Pennsylvania PUC national list of utility commissions