SCE Is Giving You $72 in Climate Credits After Rates Climbed 56% in Five Years

SCE Is Giving You $72 in Climate Credits
After Rates Climbed 56% in Five Years

Southern California Edison customers saw some relief on their summer bills this year. In August 2026, SCE announced that residential customers would receive two California Climate Credits of $36 each, one on the August bill and one on the September bill, for a total of $72. The credit is funded by California's Cap-and-Invest program, which requires large greenhouse gas emitters to pay for carbon pollution. It is applied automatically, and no action is required. Starting in 2026, the state moved residential electric credits to August and September so they arrive during the months when bills are typically highest. SCE also noted that its average rates in 2026 are about 4.3 percent lower than in December 2025, with an additional decrease expected later in the year, and said future rate updates are projected to track at or below local inflation on average through 2030.

The bigger picture
Any relief is welcome. But it helps to see the credits next to the long-term trend. According to the CPUC's Public Advocates Office, SCE's average residential rate was about 34.4 cents per kilowatt-hour in June 2026. That is up 56 percent since January 2021 and 101 percent over the past 10 years. For a household spending a few hundred dollars a month on electricity in summer, a one-time $72 credit spread across two bills does not come close to offsetting increases of that size. And the credit is a fixed amount. It does not grow with your usage, so the households running the most air conditioning get proportionally the least relief.

Relief that compounds every month
Climate credits arrive twice a year. A rooftop solar and battery system works every day. Solar panels produce electricity during the day, and the battery stores it for the evening hours when SCE's time-of-use prices are highest. That reduces how much grid power you buy every single month, and the savings grow as rates rise. A battery also adds protection a bill credit cannot. When the grid goes down due to heat, wildfire, or a public safety power shutoff, it keeps essential loads running.

No purchase needed
Through third-party ownership programs, qualifying homeowners can get solar and battery storage installed without buying or financing equipment. The provider owns and maintains the system, and the homeowner pays for the energy or service, often at a rate designed to come in below current utility rates. Enjoy the $72. Then consider a plan that lowers your bill every month instead of twice a year. If you are an SCE customer, see whether your home qualifies.

To find out if your home qualifies for a TPO solar and battery program, visit myhomesolution.org/california_public_utility_commissions