Becerra Announces First-in-the-Nation Free “Power Hour” to Cut Utility Bills for Working Californians

Plan Addresses Key Affordability Concerns, With Savings of Up to $1,000 a Year for Eligible Californians

(SACRAMENTO, CA) — Former HHS Secretary and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced an innovative first-in-the-nation plan to give millions of working families access to free electricity for up to two hours per day.

“Californians are struggling to get by. That’s why we’re lowering utility bills by providing working families with up to two free hours of free electricity a day. That’s California’s Power Hour. So use your air conditioning, charge your devices, wash your clothes, wash your dishes, use your electricity during those two hours, and you won’t pay a dime,” said Becerra.

The “Power Hour” plan will be available to working families depending on income and household size. For example a family of four earning less than $82,500 per year would be eligible. The plan will provide up to two hours of free electricity mid-day, allowing families to run their high-usage appliances during these hours, including washing machines, dishwashers, and cooling their homes before the peak cost hours. The “Power Hour” could reduce a family’s utility bill by approximately $1000 a year.

Further, this program will shift more of the peak energy demand earlier in the day for those who participate in the program, increasing the reliability of California’s grid, and lowering the possibility of brownouts or blackouts Californians have experienced during peak demand.