Utilities · Official link · Reviewed July 14, 2026
Utility bills, shutoffs, and outages
A utility problem has a safer first stop. Pick the path for the bill, the outage, or the smell of gas.
The short version
The name on the bill decides which rule book to use
Call the utility before the shutoff date and request a payment plan, more time, a bill discount, and emergency help. Behind that call sits a rule book. CPUC rules cover many large electric, gas, phone, and water companies owned by investors, while a city utility or local district may have its own rules. An outage report is a separate track from a bill or shutoff dispute.
What changes the answer: CPUC's general FAQ describes a written notice 15 days before shutoff, then another notice at least 48 hours before shutoff. The provider, service, safety issue, or special protection can change the rule, so use the notice on your account.
Shutoff help exists, but most of it only works before the shutoff date. The earlier the call, the more options are still on the table.
How it works
Start with the provider, not just the type of bill
The logo and company name on the bill tell you where to begin. CPUC oversees many large utilities owned by investors. These include PG&E, Southern California Edison, SDG&E, and SoCalGas. City systems and local districts often answer to a city council or local board instead.
Call the provider first. Give the account number and amount due. Add the notice date and shutoff date. Ask it to explain the bill and note any dispute. Ask about every payment plan, delay, discount, and emergency grant for that account.
A shutoff notice has a clock, so act before it ends
For a utility covered by CPUC rules, the general FAQ lists two notices. The first is a written notice at least 15 days before shutoff. Another notice comes at least 48 hours before shutoff. Do not treat those times as a promise for every service or case.
Read the notice for the actual date, payment instructions, and appeal path. Ask the provider to confirm any hold in writing. A complaint may help with a billing or service dispute, but do not assume filing one pauses the shutoff.
Discounts, medical help, and emergency grants are separate
CARE and FERA lower qualifying energy bills. Medical Baseline can give added energy at the lowest rate for a qualifying medical need. LIHEAP and utility emergency funds may help with a past-due balance. Each program has its own test and application.
A person in Medi-Cal, CalFresh, WIC, CalWORKs, SSI, or another listed program may be able to get CARE. Medical Baseline is not a promise that power will stay on. A home that needs powered medical gear should also make a backup plan.
Outages and planned safety shutoffs use a different path
Use the utility's outage map for a local outage. A Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS, is a planned shutoff meant to reduce wildfire risk. Timing can change as weather and field conditions change.
Sign up for provider alerts and make sure the account contact details are current. For a gas smell or suspected gas leak, leave the area first. Call 911 or the gas utility's emergency line from a safe place.
Water, phone, and unresolved disputes may need another office
A regulated water company, a city water department, and a special district may use different shutoff and complaint rules. Check who owns the system before relying on a CPUC page. California LifeLine is a separate phone-discount program.
If a utility covered by CPUC rules will not fix a bill or service problem, use CPUC's complaint path. Keep the bills and notices. Save receipts, screen images, call dates, and the names of people you spoke with.
First useful action
Start with the route selector
Pick the closest task. The result will point to the focused page or official office that fits.
Route selector
Select the utility issue.
Pick an option above to see the right first stop.
First moves
- 1
Find the bill and account number. Mark the provider, amount due, notice date, shutoff date, and phone number printed on the notice.
- 2
Call the utility before the shutoff date. Ask for a payment extension, payment plan, discount screening, and any emergency grant the provider offers.
- 3
For a CPUC-regulated utility, the CPUC FAQ says a disconnection generally starts with a 15-day written notice and then another notice at least 48 hours before shutoff.
- 4
For lower ongoing bills, check CARE, FERA, Medical Baseline, LIHEAP, and utility emergency assistance. These are separate programs.
- 5
CARE provides a 30 to 35 percent electric discount through companies with at least 100,000 California customer accounts. Smaller electric companies give 20 percent. CARE's natural-gas discount is 20 percent. FERA provides a qualifying household an 18 percent electric discount.
- 6
If someone at home relies on powered medical equipment, sign up for Medical Baseline and outage alerts early.
- 7
For a power outage or a planned shutoff (PSPS), use CPUC's outage maps and your utility's outage page. Do not rely on a neighborhood post.
- 8
For a gas smell or suspected leak, leave the area right away. Then call 911 or the gas utility's emergency line from a safe place.
- 9
For water or sewer, first find out who runs the system. It may be a regulated water company, a city utility, or a special district.
- 10
If the utility will not fix a billing or service problem, use the CPUC complaint path when CPUC is the regulator.
Watch for
- 1
CPUC does not handle every utility. City-owned utilities and many local districts use their own complaint paths.
- 2
The 15-day and 48-hour notice summary comes from CPUC's general FAQ. Provider, service type, safety issues, and special protections can change the rule.
- 3
CARE, FERA, Medical Baseline, LIHEAP, and 211 are different programs. One application does not cover them all.
- 4
Enrollment in Medi-Cal, CalFresh, WIC, CalWORKs, SSI, or another listed program may help a household qualify for CARE. Use the utility's current application.
- 5
Medical Baseline does not promise the power stays on. Plan backup power if electricity is medically important.
- 6
Planned shutoff timing can change with wind, weather, and repair work.
- 7
A payment plan, a discount, an emergency grant, a complaint, and an outage report do different things.
- 8
Gas smell and carbon monoxide concerns are safety issues first. Use the emergency instructions from the gas utility.
- 9
Water shutoff protections depend on the provider and the current program rules.
- 10
Keep bills, notices, receipts, call notes, and names in one folder.
Official sources
Where to confirm this
Use the source that matches the step you are on. Current forms, fees, deadlines, and agency decisions can change after this page is reviewed.
Use this as a map. It does not decide your rights, tell you what to file, or say someone broke the law. If a deadline, denial, eviction, firing, injury, tax bill, permit fight, or insurance dispute is on the line, use the official source or a licensed professional.