Southern California Edison customers in Santa Barbara County will see changes to their electricity bills this fall, with a rate increase now in effect and a new billing structure set to roll out next month.

Residential electric rates rose by approximately 13 percent on Oct. 1 after the California Public Utilities Commission approved SCE’s General Rate Case. Filed every four years, the case authorizes the utility’s operating plan and customer pricing to support grid reliability and infrastructure improvements. 

“This is essentially approving how we operate and the rates that we are able to collect from customers,” said Gabriela Ornelas, a spokesperson for SCE.

While the utility acknowledged the increase could raise customer bills, Ornelas said the funding supports “a reliable and resilient electric grid with the work we’re able to do.” 

To help ease the impact, a $56 California Climate Credit was automatically applied to October bills. The state-issued rebate is provided twice a year to customers of investor-owned utilities.

A second change arrives Nov. 15, when a billing update required under Assembly Bill 205 will introduce a Base Services Charge as a separate line item, replacing the current Basic Charge for residential customers.

“It’s important to understand that the Base Services Charge is not a new cost or a new fee,” Ornelas clarified. “It’s a restructuring of the electric bill.”

She said the update also lowers the per‑kilowatt‑hour rate.

“Generally, the lower volumetric charges per kilowatt-hour (kWh) will help offset the Base Services Charge, but it is dependent on a customer’s specific level of usage,” Ornelas said.

As a result, she said higher-use customers may see a decrease, while lower-use customers may experience a slight increase in their bills.

Residential customers with solar will also have to pay the new Base Services Charge. 

There are about 17,700 residential solar projects in Santa Barbara County, according to the CPUC. There are 589 non-residential local solar projects, including recent installations of panels over parking lots. 

Ornelas said the updated rates are meant to make adopting clean energy technologies, such as electric vehicles or heat pump water heaters, more affordable.

SCE has multiple rate plans available for customers to choose from, including time-of-use options that offer lower prices outside peak demand hours, which typically fall between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

“Customers who are able to shift their usage to non-peak hours could take advantage of more affordable pricing,” Ornelas said.

Additional information about the Base Services Charge, rate plan tools, and assistance programs is available on the SCE website.

Southern California Edison is the electric utility provider for southern Santa Barbara County. Northern Santa Barbara County is served by PG&E, which reported decreasing its residential rates this year.