Save Newport Real News in Newport Beach
If you have received a higher-than-normal gas bill, then you are not alone. SoCalGas is short on staff, so instead of sending people out to read meters, they have decided that the way to handle the situation is to do “meter estimation”, where they do NOT take your meter and give you a “regular” bill, but instead average the entire neighborhood together and give you the average bill there, instead.
This can result in sharp bill spikes or divets, depending on how much gas you use. Some in our area have reported gas bills rising from an average monthly bill of $25 to well over $100. If you have been the victim of bad meter estimation, reports are that SoCalGas has been non-responsive (likely due to their staff shortage).
Instead (or, in conjunction with that), you should file a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission Consumer Affairs, here: https://appsssl.cpuc.ca.gov/cpucapplication/
