You’re going to get your money back on your next electricity bill.

The California Public Utilities Commission is sending out the climate credit twice a year earlier than usual in response to the high cost of natural gas.

California climate credits typically go out in April, but customers may see the credit as early as this month.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in our PG&E and SoCalGas bills,” said Arroyo Grande resident Kathy Aguilar.

“$250 and up, when we would have spent maybe $40,” Guadalupe resident Cynthia Ferrell said.

Many people turn to alternatives simply to save money.

“My partner and I literally have to buy space heaters, heated blankets, just to cut back on not using as much gas because electricity is actually cheaper right now,” Ferrell added.

The California Climate Credit is a state program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. SoCalGas customers will receive a credit of $50.77 on their February or March bill, and PG&E customers will receive a credit of $38.39 on their electricity bill next billing cycle.

It’s an automatic credit, meaning customers don’t have to do anything to get it deducted from their utility bills.

That’s still not enough for some locals as they struggle to keep up with rising costs.

“I mean, it’s going to be helpful, but really, as high as he jumped, it’s not going to help much. It’s really minimal,” Ferrell explained.

“Any little bit helps. I think overall the bills are going to stay high, so there’s still going to be value,” Aguilar said.

Customers can expect another climate credit to appear on their utility bills in October.

PG&E offers the following:

• Dial the thermostat. You can save around 2% on your heating bill for every degree you lower your thermostat (if the reduction lasts for a significant part of the day or night). For example, lowering the temperature from 70 to 65 degrees saves about 10%.
• Lower the water heater temperature. By setting your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, you can reduce the amount of energy needed to produce and maintain hot water.

To learn about other ways to save on your electricity bill, you can visit here site.

To learn more about the SoCalGas relief fund, you can click here link.