PG&E CARE and FERA in 2026: Income Limits, Discounts, and Your Base Services Charge Tier

If your household income is at or below about $43,280 for one or two people, or $66,000 for a family of four, PG&E's CARE program takes 35% or more off your electricity and 20% or more off your gas, and cuts your Base Services Charge from about $24 a month to about $6. Households a bit above the CARE limits can get FERA instead: 18% off electricity and a Base Services Charge of about $12 a month. Both use one free application, need no paperwork up front, and show up on your next bill. On the example bill below, CARE saves about $68 a month and FERA about $38.

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Key facts

• CARE (California Alternate Rates for Energy): 35% or more off electricity and 20% or more off gas, compared with non-CARE bundled customers. You qualify by income (up to 200% of the federal poverty guideline) or by being enrolled in a program such as CalFresh/SNAP, Medi-Cal, WIC, LIHEAP, SSI, CalWORKs or the National School Lunch Program (PG&E CARE).
• FERA (Family Electric Rate Assistance): an 18% discount on total bundled volumetric electric charges. No gas discount. Income must be above the CARE limit and below 250% of the poverty guideline (Schedule E-FERA).
• Base Services Charge (since March 2026): $0.79343 a day for most customers (Income Tier 3), $0.39688 for Tier 2 (FERA, or qualifying deed-restricted affordable housing) and $0.19713 for Tier 1 (CARE). That's about $23.80, $11.91 and $5.91 for a 30-day bill (Schedule E-TOU-C, Advice 7921-E, effective June 1, 2026).
• You can't stack them. A household can be on CARE or FERA, not both.
• CCA customers qualify too. If MCE, EBCE, SVCE or another community choice aggregator supplies your power, PG&E still runs CARE and FERA and you keep the full discount (PG&E CARE FAQ).

2026-27 income limits

These are total gross annual household income limits, from all sources and before taxes, valid June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027. They change every June.

Sources: Electric Rule 19.1 (CARE) and Schedule E-FERA (FERA), both Advice 7905-E, effective June 1, 2026.

Household income counts everyone living in the home and includes wages, self-employment, Social Security and pensions, interest and dividends, child and spousal support, public assistance, rental income, and housing and military subsidies. PG&E tells you to use current income you expect over the next 12 months, not last year's, so if someone lost a job or had hours cut, you may qualify now even if you didn't before.

The three Base Services Charge tiers

Since March 2026, PG&E bills a fixed daily Base Services Charge and lowered its per-kWh prices to match. PG&E says this isn't a new fee: the money used to be built into the kWh price, and it covers grid connection, metering, billing, and public purpose programs (PG&E Base Services Charge). The charge is the same on E-TOU-C, E-ELEC, EV2-A, E-TOU-D and E-1, so it doesn't change which rate plan is cheapest for you. It doesn't apply on EV-B, EM or EM-TOU.

The tier follows enrollment. PG&E bills you at Tier 1 or 2 automatically once you're on CARE or FERA, or once you certify that you live in a deed-restricted affordable housing property listed by the California Housing Partnership. If you let your enrollment lapse, you go back to Tier 3 and lose the per-kWh discount too.

What enrolling saves: an example bill

This is an illustration, not a prediction. It's a hypothetical 30-day winter bill on E-TOU-C in baseline territory X (which covers much of the Bay Area), with basic electric service: 450 kWh, 20% of it during the 4-9 p.m. peak. It uses PG&E's bundled rates effective June 1, 2026: $0.39757 peak, $0.36757 off-peak, and a baseline credit of $0.08140 on the first 291 kWh (9.7 kWh a day) (Schedule E-TOU-C).

FERA is the exact 18% from the tariff. CARE uses PG&E's "35% or more" figure, because the actual CARE discount works line by line through the rate components and varies a little by plan. The example leaves out taxes, the California Climate Credit, and CCA generation charges, and it doesn't include gas. On gas, CARE customers on Schedule GL-1 get $0.48481 off each baseline therm and $0.58543 off each excess therm (October 1, 2026 rates), which is 20% of the procurement and transportation charges (Schedule GL-1).

How to apply (and keep the discount)

1. Check eligibility with PG&E's CARE/FERA eligibility tool. CARE and FERA share one application. If you don't qualify for one, PG&E checks the other.
2. Apply online through your PG&E account (Payments, then All payment tasks, then Assistance programs, then CARE/FERA), or mail, fax or email the CARE/FERA application (PDF) to CAREandFERA@pge.com. Sub-metered tenants (some mobile home parks and apartments) must use the paper sub-metered form.
3. Look for "CARE Discount" or "FERA Discount" under "Your Enrolled Programs" on page 1 of your next bill. Discounts aren't retroactive, so the sooner you apply, the sooner it starts.
4. Renew every two years (four years on a fixed income). PG&E mails a renewal about three months before it expires.

The bill has to be in your name, you must live at the address, you can't share a meter with another home, and you can't be claimed as a dependent by someone other than your spouse. No proof of income is needed when you apply, but PG&E randomly selects households to verify later, and if you don't respond by the deadline, the discount is removed.

Watch your usage: the 400% and 600% baseline rules

CARE has a usage limit that catches people off guard. Under Electric Rule 19.1, if your electricity use goes above 400% of your baseline allowance, PG&E asks for proof of income (including IRS tax return transcripts) and requires you to take part in the Energy Savings Assistance program. If monthly use goes above 600% of baseline, you can be removed from CARE. PG&E also tells FERA customers to set alerts to stay under 400%.

In the territory X winter example above, 291 kWh is 100% of baseline, so 400% is about 1,164 kWh and 600% about 1,746 kWh in a 30-day bill. Summer baseline allowances differ, so check the numbers for your territory in PG&E Baseline Allowance Explained.

If your home is near those levels, a few low-cost tools help you find and trim the big loads:

• Emporia Vue 3 home energy monitor with 16 circuit sensors, $199.99 on Amazon when we checked on October 28, 2026. It installs in your panel (an electrician is recommended) and shows usage circuit by circuit, so you can see whether the dryer, a space heater or an old fridge is driving the bill.
• Kasa KP115 smart plug with energy monitoring, $15.99 on Amazon when we checked. It measures one plug-in appliance at a time and can switch it off on a schedule, which is useful for always-on electronics and for keeping a dehumidifier or heater out of the 4-9 p.m. peak.

Prices change, so check the current price before you buy. Before spending anything, CARE and FERA customers whose homes are five years or older may qualify for PG&E's free Energy Savings Assistance program. Our phantom power guide shows how much standby loads cost on PG&E rates, and our home energy monitor guide compares the options.

Check your bill

Page 1 of your PG&E bill shows whether you're enrolled, and the electric details show which Base Services Charge you're paying. Upload your PG&E bill to My Big Bill for a free audit: it reads your rate plan, baseline territory and charges, so you can confirm your discount and Base Services Charge tier are on it. See How to Read Your PG&E Bill for where each line is, and PG&E Rate Plans Compared to check whether a different plan would save more on top of the discount. CARE and FERA work on E-TOU-C, E-ELEC and EV2-A, and on the tiered E-1 plan.

Frequently asked questions

What are the PG&E CARE income limits for 2026?

From June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027, total gross annual household income must be at or below $43,280 for one or two people, $54,640 for three, $66,000 for four, $77,360 for five, $88,720 for six, $100,080 for seven and $111,440 for eight, plus $11,360 for each additional person. You can also qualify through programs like CalFresh, Medi-Cal, WIC, LIHEAP or SSI.

What is the difference between CARE and FERA?

CARE gives 35% or more off electricity and 20% or more off gas, plus a Base Services Charge of about $6 a month. FERA is for households just above the CARE limits: 18% off electricity only, plus a Base Services Charge of about $12 a month. You can be on one, not both, and they share one application.

How much is the PG&E Base Services Charge with CARE or FERA?

CARE customers pay Income Tier 1, $0.19713 a day (about $5.91 for 30 days). FERA customers and residents of qualifying deed-restricted affordable housing pay Tier 2, $0.39688 a day (about $11.91). Everyone else pays Tier 3, $0.79343 a day (about $23.80).

Do I need proof of income to apply for CARE or FERA?

No. You self-certify, and no documents are needed up front. PG&E randomly selects households to verify later, and households using more than 400% of baseline must provide proof of income, including IRS tax return transcripts.

Can I lose CARE for using too much electricity?

Yes. Above 400% of your baseline allowance, PG&E requires income verification and participation in the Energy Savings Assistance program. If monthly usage goes above 600% of baseline, you can be removed from CARE.

Can I get CARE or FERA if my power comes from a CCA like MCE or EBCE?

Yes. PG&E administers CARE, FERA and Medical Baseline for everyone in its territory, including CCA customers, and you keep the full discount. Enrollment and renewal go through PG&E.