Some programs may qualify a home based on its energy usage.
Most California homes are served by one of the state’s three investor-owned utilities (IOUs) — Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). PG&E residential rates rose 104% between January 2015 and April 2025, and rates across all three IOUs have climbed sharply over the past decade. This index documents the state, utility, and federal programs available to California homeowners in response — what each program is, who administers it, and where the official rules are published.
California residential electricity is among the most expensive in the continental United States across all three investor-owned utilities — PG&E, Southern California Edison, and SDG&E. The figures below come from utility rate filings and CPUC records, with PG&E, the state’s largest utility, as the reference case.
Sources: rate schedules and baseline allocations published by each utility and approved by the California Public Utilities Commission. Verify current tariffs at cpuc.ca.gov and your utility’s rate page.
Depending on usage, income, utility, and location, a California homeowner may qualify for one or more of the programs below. Each entry links to a plain-English reference page with official sources.
No-cost home improvement measures delivered through the major utilities: attic insulation, weatherstripping and door sealing, energy-efficient lighting, refrigerator and appliance replacement, and related efficiency work. Eligibility is determined by the administering utility under CPUC rules.
Reference entryIncentives for home energy generation and battery storage, funded by ratepayer surcharges — more than $1 billion authorized through 2024, plus a dedicated $280 million residential solar-and-storage equity budget. Paired with the federal §48E credit, it is the deepest savings path available to qualifying homes.
Reference entryThe tariff governing how utilities credit homes for excess power exported to the grid — the mechanism that determines the economics of properly-sized home generation.
Reference entry30% federal tax credit on clean-energy installations, with a 10% Energy Community bonus in DOE-designated zones.
Reference entryBuilding-standard and efficiency pathways — panel upgrades tied to generation projects, weatherization, and appliance measures for qualifying households.
Reference entryMonthly bill discounts of ~30% (CARE) or 18% (FERA) for income-qualified households, administered through the utilities.
Reference entryTwice-yearly automatic credit on residential electric bills, funded by cap-and-trade auction revenue.
Reference entryThe steps below describe how a homeowner’s program review is typically conducted, from eligibility through installation.
Program requirements referenced in this section are maintained by the administering agencies listed in Section 2 and on the Resources page.
