PG&E's bundled average rate rose from 12.81 cents/kWh to 13.76 cents/kWh, a 7.4 percent increase, beginning on January 1. The increase for residential customers is greater - 11.1 percent. However, about two-thirds of PG&E's residential customers will see little or no increase because they are either under certain baseline levels or covered by the low-income discount program. Average residential users are expected to see a 2.2 percent increase in monthly bills, from $66.17 to $67.64, according to the utility. Those who use a lot of power will pay on an ever-increasing scale. Their electric bills could be as much as 20 percent more than last year. Small businesses' costs are expected to increase 3.8 percent.
