California Now Protects More Homes From Heat-Wave Shutoffs But Your Best Protection Is Power You Control

California Now Protects More Homes From Heat-Wave Shutoffs
But Your Best Protection Is Power You Control

California regulators have expanded a key protection for households during extreme heat. As of July 16, 2026, the California Public Utilities Commission lowered the temperature threshold for heat-related disconnection protection from 100 degrees to 90 degrees. When temperatures reach that level, utilities cannot shut off a customer's electricity for non-payment. The CPUC says the change is in place for summer 2026 while broader disconnection policies are under review. It is part of a larger effort to help customers cope with rising costs and increasingly extreme weather.

A grid that is more reliable, but still not in your control

The CPUC also points to real progress on reliability. Since 2020, the state has procured more than 37,000 megawatts of new energy supply, mostly solar, along with record amounts of battery storage. California has not needed a Flex Alert in three consecutive summers. Those are good signs for the grid as a whole. But for an individual household, protection still depends on decisions made by someone else. Disconnection rules can change after review. Public safety power shutoffs can still cut power during high fire danger. Local equipment failures, wildfires, and storms can still leave a neighborhood in the dark, no matter how much battery storage the state has added.

What this means for homeowners on SCE, SDG&E, and PG&E

The new heat-wave protection keeps the utility from turning off your power over a bill. It does not lower that bill, and it does not keep your lights on during an outage. For many families, the real worry on a 100-degree day is not a disconnection notice. It is whether the air conditioning, refrigerator, and medical devices will keep running, and how high the next bill will be. Summer bills on SCE, SDG&E, and PG&E are driven largely by air conditioning during the late afternoon and evening, when time-of-use prices peak. That is exactly when solar production fades, which is why a battery matters so much.

Protection you control
A home solar and battery system gives you a different kind of protection, one that does not depend on a policy decision. During the day, panels produce power and charge the battery. In the evening, the battery covers your most expensive hours. If the grid goes down, the battery keeps essential loads running and solar can recharge it the next day.
That combination lowers the bills that cause financial stress in the first place, and it keeps your home powered during outages. Homeowners do not need to buy a system to get there. Through third-party ownership programs, qualifying homeowners can get solar and battery storage installed without buying or financing equipment, while enjoying lower energy costs and backup power. State protections are a safety net. Your own solar and battery system is a plan. If you want more control over your energy costs and your family's comfort during the next heat wave, now is a good time to see if your home qualifies.
To find out if your home qualifies for a TPO solar and battery program, visit myhomesolution.org/california_public_utility_commissions