Southern California Edison customers struggling with unpaid electric bills could have up to $8,000 in debt wiped away through a state-mandated forgiveness program.
The utility’s Arrearage Management Plan, or AMP, allows eligible residential customers who make 12 consecutive on-time monthly payments to erase past-due balances of $500 or more, with forgiveness capped at $8,000 per customer. To qualify, households must already be enrolled in either the California Alternate Rates for Energy or the Family Electric Rate Assistance discount programs, have held an Edison account for at least six months, owe more than $500 with some portion at least 90 days past due, and have made at least one on-time payment in the past 24 months.
The program reflects mounting pressure on California households as electricity costs have surged far beyond national averages. Edison’s residential rates climbed approximately 83% between 2015 and 2025, according to data from the California Public Utilities Commission’s Public Advocates Office. About one in five California households served by investor-owned utilities are currently behind on their electric bills.
Californians have faced energy bill increases of 39% over the past six years, the steepest jump of any state, according to research from UC Berkeley’s Haas Energy Institute. The spike stems partly from devastating wildfires that have ripped through Los Angeles and other regions, plus policy decisions that have shifted costs onto ratepayers.
The AMP program was established in 2021, and by 2024 roughly 10,000 Southern California households had enrolled. The initiative is not unique to Edison. Utilities across California operate similar plans, including PG&E for much of Northern California.
PG&E has also introduced a Match My Payment Program that provides a dollar-for-dollar match on past-due electric bills, up to $1,000. Every dollar a customer spends on their current bill generates an equal credit applied to their outstanding balance.
“We know how challenging it can be for families to keep up with bills in so many aspects of daily life, and we’re focused on delivering meaningful support,” Vincent Davis, a PG&E executive, told Fox 40.
The Edison program forgives one-twelfth of a customer’s eligible debt for each on-time payment. Customers who miss up to two non-sequential payments can remain enrolled if they catch up by the next billing due date, though missing two consecutive payments or failing to make the 12th payment results in automatic removal. Any debt already forgiven before dropping out stays erased, but remaining balances become ineligible for future forgiveness.
Net Energy Metering customers, Direct Access customers, and master-metered households are currently excluded from Edison’s AMP program. Participants who complete the full 12-month cycle must wait another 12 months before re-enrolling.
The arrearage crisis has become a flashpoint in California politics, with energy costs emerging as a significant issue in the governor’s race. State lawmakers and regulators have faced intensifying scrutiny over rate-setting decisions that consumer advocates say have placed disproportionate burdens on working families.
In the viral moment that brought national attention to California’s energy affordability crisis, skyrocketing bills have pushed some households to seek relief wherever they can find it, from payment assistance programs to debt forgiveness initiatives and conservation measures.
Other utilities have tailored their own versions of the program. Clean Power Alliance, which serves parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, offers an identical AMP structure with the same $8,000 forgiveness cap. San Francisco’s CleanPowerSF operates under the same guidelines, forgiving one-twelfth of eligible debt per on-time payment over 12 months.
Customers interested in Edison’s AMP can check eligibility through their online account or contact customer service directly. Enrollment requires maintaining current payments while the forgiveness credits are applied to past balances, meaning participants must stay current on new charges to benefit.
Edison continues to promote the program alongside other assistance options, including the Energy Savings Assistance Program, which provides free or low-cost energy-efficient appliances and weatherization services to qualifying households. The Summer Discount Plan offers up to $180 in bill credits from June through October for customers who allow the utility to cycle their air conditioning during peak demand events.
California’s investor-owned utilities are required by state law to offer arrearage management programs, though specific terms vary by provider. The programs originated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when emergency orders suspended utility disconnections and regulators mandated new pathways for customers to address mounting debt.