Energy Programs for Residents
The City of Richmond is committed to supporting energy conservation for residents. Promoting energy-saving funding programs provided by local and state organization.
To view progress and data on the energy programs for residents below, please visit www.transparentrichmond.org/stories/s/Sustainability-and-Health-Equity/.
Free Solar for Qualifying Richmond Homes
The City of Richmond and GRID Alternatives are excited to provide free solar systems to income-qualifying homes in Richmond and North Richmond. To date, the partnership has serviced over 600 homes in Richmond and provided millions of dollars in energy cost savings to the community. This new initiative will provide more than $2.5 million in energy cost savings for families and prevent more than 5,700 tons of greenhouse gases over the systems' lifetimes. It will also provide more than 15,000 hours of job skill-building in solar installation for community volunteers and job trainees.
To qualify, Richmond and North Richmond residents who own and live in their own home and make less than 80% of area median income may be considered to receive solar through GRID Alternatives. For example, a four-person household in Richmond with an income of $80,375 or lower would be income-qualified. An eight-person Richmond household earning $135,375 or less would be income-qualified. Each additional person would cost an additional $13,750 after that.
For more information about eligibility, homeowners should contact GRID Alternatives by phone
(866) 921-4696 or (510) 775-9162, email (baoutreach@gridalternatives.org) or complete an online form at https://www.energyforallprogram.org/| (Español). Residents may also contact the City at (510) 620-6512.
The program is funded through the State, City of Richmond, MCE, donations, and Federal Tax Credits.
MCE established the first Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) in California after the state law was passed to make this new type of energy provider possible. As the trailblazer for local clean energy, MCE was the first not-for-profit organization to offer electricity as an alternative to PG&E. With our launch in 2010, customers in our service area had a choice of electricity providers for the first time, along with the benefits of increased transparency from a public agency.
Learn more or opt up: MCE Community Choice Energy (mcecleanenergy.org)
A Breakdown of MCE's Offerings:
What to Expect on PG&E Bills:
Overview
In partnership with MCE, a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Pilot program was launched to provide low income homeowners and qualified commercial sites with energy efficiency enhancements. The goal of the program is to create a network of residential and commercial sites with technology that will enable the ability to shift energy sources when grid are overloaded and/or energy usage is in high demand, thus preventing unplanned power outages.
Benefits
For Homes
- Low- to no-cost offerings may include smart home energy monitors, heat pump space and water heaters, battery storage, EV charging, and other smart equipment
- Modernizes your appliances and electrical system
- Reduces energy usage and lowers monthly bills
- Earn on-bill credits up to $50/month
- Contributes to a clean and sustainable grid for the entire community
For Businesses
- Low- to no-cost offerings may include lighting controls, load monitoring equipment, battery storage, EV chargers, smart thermostats, and other smart equipment
- Manages and modernizes your energy use and electrical system
- Provides end-to-end financial and technical support – from securing incentives, to contracting, installing, and commissioning the equipment
- Reduces energy usage and lowers monthly bills
- Earn on-bill credits up to $300/month; industrial sites can earn up to $750/month
- Contributes to a clean and sustainable grid for the entire community
Currently this pilot is invite-only. Eligible participants will receive an email or mailer from MCE or the City of Richmond inviting them to enroll. For more information, visit MCE's Virtual Power Plant website or call (888) 632-3674.
Provides qualifying single-family homeowners and renters with a home-energy assessment, upgrades that may increase your home value and lower your energy bill, and free energy-saving gifts for the whole family — ALL AT NO COST.
Complete the Home Energy Savings Application Form. Once your eligibility is verified, MCE’s energy advisors will reach out to let you know when the installation team will be in your area. At that time, you can schedule your free home energy assessment.
Visit for more information and the application form: https://mcecleanenergy.org/home-energy-savings/
*2025 income guideline
Medical Baseline Allowance
Provides eligible customers with additional gas and electricity at the lowest available rate, plus notification in the event of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS).
Eligibility for the Medical Baseline Program is based on medical conditions or needs—NOT on income. To qualify, a full-time resident in your home must:
- Have a qualifying medical condition and/or
- Require use of a qualifying medical device to treat ongoing medical conditions
Apply here and for more information: https://www.pge.com/en/account/billing-and-assistance/financial-assistance/medical-baseline-program.html
Qualifying medical conditions
Some examples of qualifying medical conditions include:
- Paraplegic, hemiplegic or quadriplegic condition
- Multiple sclerosis with heating and/or cooling needs
- Scleroderma with heating needs
- Life-threatening illness or compromised immune system. Requires heating and/or cooling to sustain life or prevent medical deterioration
- Asthma and/or sleep apnea
Qualifying medical devices
Qualifying medical devices include, but are not limited to:
- Aerosol tent
- Air mattress/hospital bed
- Apnea monitor
- Breather machine (IPPB)
- Compressor/concentrator
- Dialysis machine
- Electronic nerve stimulator
- Electrostatic nebulizer
- Hemodialysis machine
- Infusion pump
- Inhalation pulmonary pressure
- Iron lung
- Left ventricular assist device (LVAD)
- Motorized wheelchair/scooter
- Oxygen generator
- Pressure pad
- Pressure pump
- Pulse oximeter/monitor
- Respirator (all types)
- Suction machine
- Total artificial heart (TAH-t)
- Ultrasonic nebulizer
- Vest/airway clearance system
Apply for a Monthly Discount through PG&E's California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program or Family Electric Rate Assistance Program (FERA)
CARE and FERA are PG&E discount programs that help eligible customers pay their energy bills. Over 1.4 million customers are receiving a bill discount through these two programs. Simply complete the online CARE/FERA enrollment form and PG&E will let you know if you’re eligible.
- California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE). A monthly discount of 20% or more on gas and electricity. Participants qualify through income guidelines or if enrolled in certain public assistance programs.
- Family Electric Rate Assistance Program (FERA). A monthly discount of 18% on electricity only. Must be a household with three or more people. Participants qualify through income guidelines.
Find out if you’re eligible
Review the guidelines to see if you qualify.
- CARE - Discount on gas and electric rates
- FERA - Discount on electric rates only for households of 3 or more people
You may also qualify for CARE based on participation in certain public assistance programs. See the list of qualifying programs.
FERA eligibility is based on household size and income only. Review full program guidelines.
It takes only a few minutes to fill out the application. No proof of income is necessary and your answers are confidential. For the quickest turnaround time, use PG&E's online application (available in multiple languages; Spanish, Chinese, & Vietnamese).
CARE/FERA 2025-2026 Income Guidelines
*Before taxes based on current income sources. Table data applies to residential, single-family customers. Income Guidelines are valid through 05/31/26.
PG&E Energy Savings Assistance Program
This program provides income qualified homeowners and renters living in a house, mobile home or apartment at least five years old with no cost energy saving improvements. Residents will receive a free home assessment to determine if your home qualifies for the program and, if so, the improvements to be made.
For more information or to apply, call PG&E at 1-800-933-9555 or visit their websites at:
- pge.com/energysavings
- https://www.pge.com/en/save-energy-and-money/energy-saving-programs/energy-savings-assistance-program.html
Program Income Guidelines
Annual income before taxes. Valid through May 31, 2026
Arrearage Management Plan (AMP)
The Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) is a debt forgiveness plan for eligible residential customers. If you are enrolled in CARE or FERA, you may be eligible for up to $8,000 in debt forgiveness through AMP (Arrearage Management Plan).
Eligible customers who make 12 full monthly payments on time qualify for the full AMP forgiveness.
Residential customers are eligible if:
- Enrolled in California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance Program (FERA).
- Owe at least $500 or more on your gas and electric bill
- Owe at least $250 or more on your gas bill (for gas-only customers)
- Are more than 90 days past due
- Have been a PG&E customer for at least 6 months
- Have made at least one payment on time
For more information and application process, visit https://www.pge.com/en/account/billing-and-assistance/financial-assistance/arrearage-management-plan-amp.html or call 1-877-660-6789
As part of MCE’s bill relief efforts, MCE is offering $20 to $25 off your monthly electricity bills through March 2026. MCE’s Board extended the MCE Cares Credit for another year to help reduce the impact of high energy bills, to provide extra savings to those enrolled in the PG&E California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) discounts, and to small businesses on A1 and B1 rates.
Funding is limited and first come, first served, so apply today.
To qualify, you must receive MCE service and be either:
- A resident enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) discount programs, or
- A small business customer enrolled in A1 or B1 electricity rates
- Households enrolled in the Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) will automatically receive the MCE Cares Credit and do not need to complete an application.
Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH)
The program helps customers pay for energy during a crisis. REACH provides an energy credit for up to $300 based on the past due bill (energy credit support is subject to funding availability). PG&E contracts with Dollar Energy Fund to accept and process assistance requests for the PG&E REACH program.
To be eligible for assistance from the REACH program you must:
- Have a residential account with PG&E in the name of an adult living in the household
- Have received either a 15-day or a 48-hour disconnection notice
- Not have received REACH assistance within the past 12 months
- Have household income that does not exceed the REACH income guidelines, which are currently 200 percent above the federal poverty guidelines. The same income guidelines are used for the CARE program. Review those guidelines on the CARE Program page.
*Customers who are enrolled in the Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) are not eligible for REACH assistance.
APPLY HERE: https://www.dollarenergy.org/program/pge-reach-program/
INCOME GUIDELINE
*Total gross household income must be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.
PG&E Energy Savings Assistance Program
This program provides income qualified homeowners and renters living in a house, mobile home or apartment at least five years old with no cost energy saving improvements. Residents will receive a free home assessment to determine if your home qualifies for the program and, if so, the improvements to be made.
For more information or to apply, call PG&E at 1-800-933-9555 or visit their websites at:
- pge.com/energysavings
- https://www.pge.com/en/save-energy-and-money/energy-saving-programs/energy-savings-assistance-program.html
Program Income Guidelines
Annual income before taxes. Valid through May 31, 2026
Green Saver Program
Program helps some income-qualified residential customers in select communities save 20% on their electricity bill by subscribing to 100% solar energy.
- Increases access to solar, including for renters and homes unsuitable for solar rooftop installation. Simply determine your eligibility for the program by reviewing the criteria below. You may also be interested in the SOMAH or DAC-SASH rooftop solar programs.
- Provides eligible residential customers a 20% discount on electricity bills on top of any applicable CARE or FERA discounts.
- Supports the growth of new solar projects throughout PG&E's service territory.
Customer eligibility
- Subscribers must be residential customers who purchase electricity from PG&E and:
- Live in a disadvantaged community as defined by CalEnviroScreen 3.0 and/or 4.0, or live within a tribal community.
- Are eligible for, or are enrolled in, CARE or FERA.
- Do not receive electricity service from a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) or a Direct Access provider.
- important notice Note: If you take service from a CCA, check with your service provider to determine if they offer a similar program.
- Do not take PG&E electric service on Transitional Bundled Service (TBS), Schedule S, any net energy metering (NEM) schedules, non-metered service, multi-family or master-meter rate schedules, or the Solar Choice or Regional Renewable Choice programs.
- To find out your rate schedule, see your PG&E energy statement or sign in to your account.
*This program is currently at capacity, but is accepting applicants for the waitlist. Apply here.
For more information, visit https://www.pge.com/en/save-energy-and-money/energy-saving-programs/green-saver-program.html or call 1-877-660-6789
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded assistance program that provides:
- a one-time payment of up to $3,000 per year to help pay your energy bills, and
- free energy-efficient upgrades and energy-related home repairs to help lower your energy bills
Contra Costa County: Not accepting applications
Contra Costa County’s LIHEAP funding has been fully used for 2025. Wait for 2026 funding.
*For households with more than 10 people, add $182.89 for each additional person
For LIHEAP information, visit https://mcecleanenergy.org/liheap/ or contact the Contra Costa County Home Energy & Water Assistance Program at csbheap@ehsd.cccounty.us or (925) 267-6624.
Learn about other ways to lower your energy bill and catch up on late payments.
The Weatherization Program (WP)
A Federal and State funded program whose purpose is to assist low and/or fixed income residents in making their homes more energy efficient and save money on their energy bills. The program is available to Contra Costa homeowners and renters regardless of whether you live in a home, apartment, or a mobile home.
Contact Contra County Conservation and Development Department at (925) 674-7214 or their Weatherization Program at (925) 655-2714. Visit their website at www.contracosta.ca.gov/4336/Weatherization for more information.
Rising Sun Center for Opportunity- No Cost Green House Call
For seven weeks each summer, Rising Sun - Center for Opportunity employs youth age 15 to 22 and trains them to serve communities across the Bay Area with free 'green house calls'. At each green house call they check the home for efficiency, install free energy and water-saving equipment, and provide personalized recommendations for further savings. The program is free and no income qualification required. Only available for those living in single family homes and multi-family units.
When you sign up for a Green House Call, energy assistants will assess your home’s current energy and water usage, install energy and water efficient measures, and provide you with resources to other energy and water programs in your area. As mentioned earlier, the entire service comes to you at No-Cost!
A Green House Call includes:
- Home energy and water efficiency assessment
- Energy efficient light bulbs
- A smart power strip OR multiple smart energy plugs
- Draft stopping outlet gaskets
- Efficient flow faucet aerators and shower heads
- Information on other energy-saving and green programs
Green House Calls have no income qualifications and are available to renters and homeowners. Ready for your Green House Call? Sign up by visiting https://bit.ly/GHCInterest2023 or call (510) 665-1501 ext. 300 or email at eekits@risingsunopp.org with any questions.
Learn more at: https://risingsunopp.org/programs/ghc/
*Green House Calls are only available to those who have not already received this service within the last 5 years.
Rising Sun Center for Opportunity is a local nonprofit that operates job training and employment programs for underserved youth and adults to address climate change and economic inequity. Green House Calls are supported by California utility customers like you and administered under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission, so take this opportunity to make your ratepayer dollars work for you with energy efficiency services that help you save on your utility bill!
Bay Area SunShares
Richmond residents are encouraged to participate in SunShares, a limited time, group buying energy procurement program that provides discounts on residential solar and electric vehicles. The program's sign-up window is from September to November.
The Bay Area SunShares program is led by the Act Now Bay Area a regional non-profit that curates and delivers resources to the general public that accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from energy, buildings, and transportation sources. Their mission is perfectly aligned with the SunShares program, making them an ideal organization to manage the program and build on its history of success.
Discounts and pricing options are listed on the Bay Area SunShares website. All Bay Area residents are eligible.
Discounts are available for a limited time in the fall of each year:
- Starting September 15th, 2025
- Register for 2025 Webinars to learn more here: https://www.bayareasunshares.org/webinars
Visit the SunShares website for more information and to find 2024 informational workshop recordings (webinars), https://www.bayareasunshares.org/webinars .
HERO and CaliforniaFIRST - Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Programs
Richmond homeowners are eligible to participate in two Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs: HERO and CaliforniaFIRST. PACE financing enables homeowners to make energy- and water-efficiency improvements and pay for them through their property tax bill. Property owners repay the assessment over 5 to 20 years and the interest is tax-deductible. Homeowners can use PACE financing to renovate projects that can increase their property values, lower their monthly utility bills, and contribute to making our community more energy independent.
For more information on Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Programs, please visit https://renewfinancial.com/californiafirst-pace-financing-california. Check your eligibility and apply online or by phone at 844-736-3934. (Same day approvals.)
The Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) EASE Home Program offers income-eligible residents of single-family homes customized and low-cost energy upgrades to improve comfort and health at home.
Core measures focus on weatherization, energy efficiency, and health and safety improvements. Measures include insulation, duct sealing, and whole-home air sealing. BayREN offers comprehensive support for these upgrades; residents pay just 20% of the total project cost (no more than $1,000 copay). Visit BayREN.org/ease-home to learn more.
BayREN or MCE? The BayREN EASE Home Program serves income-qualified residents of single-family homes in all nine Bay Area counties. If you live in a city or town served by MCE, the MCE Home Energy Savings Program may be a better fit. The MCE Home Energy Savings Program offers similar energy efficiency upgrades to income-qualifying single-family residents. Check out MCE’s income guidelines here.
Not sure where to get started? Email the County Energy Team at energy@dcd.cccounty.us and we’ll help you get started.