Need Help During a Power Shutoff?
We're Here for You.
When a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) happens, it can be stressful. We want to make sure you have the support and resources you need to stay safe and connected.
Through a collaborative partnership of the California 211 Network and Investor-Owned Utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE) seek to support customers with an Access or Functional Need (AFN) by connecting them to resources, programs, and local support systems.
How We Can Help
If you or someone you know needs extra help during a power shutoff, our 211 team is ready to assist. We can help you with:
Emergency planning: We'll help you prepare for a power outage.
Alerts and notifications: Get important updates before and during a shutoff.
Assistance programs: We can connect you to programs that can help with your electricity bill.
Call 211 Now
Make an Appointment With Your County's 211 Care Coordinator
If you are currently experiencing a PSPS or power outage and require immediate care coordination, dial 211.
If you are experiencing an emergency, dial 911.
If you are still unsure if you qualify for care coordination after reading the eligibility requirements below, call 211.
Eligibility
To qualify for Care Coordination, clients must:
Live in a high fire-threat area (orange and red areas covered by the map) and
Have one or more listed Access or Functional Need below, including:
Rely on power for medical needs
Rely on power for assistive technology
Have disabilities
Have chronic conditions or injuries
Have limited English proficiency
Care for children
Are an older adult
Are pregnant or nursing
Are experiencing homelessness
Are low-income
Do not have reliable transportation
Find a Community Resource Center
When the power goes out, utility companies like PG&E open up Community Resource Centers. These are safe places you can go to get things like:
Restrooms and hand-washing stations
Free Wi-Fi
Charging stations for your phone and medical devices
We can help you find the closest one to you.
Get the Support You Need
We partner with many organizations to make sure you have access to essential services during an emergency. We can connect you to resources for:
Transportation
Hotel stays
Food replacement
Help for Medical Needs
If someone in your home relies on electricity for medical equipment, you may be eligible for the Medical Baseline Program. This program provides:
Additional electricity at a lower rate to help with the cost of running your equipment.
Extra notifications before a power shutoff.
Medical Baseline Customers
Customers and family members who depend on powered medical equipment should plan to have a backup power source, such as an uninterruptible power supply or a backup location in case of a power outage.
Identifying "electricity dependent" based on two factors:
Medical Baseline Allowance is a rate structure, and the eligibility requirements do not include all AFN electricity dependency needs.
There isn't a consistent definition/qualifications across the organizations used to determine "electricity dependent." (e.g., HHS, IRC, Medicare, CPUC).
Note: Households may be in multiple of the customer AFN segments identified.
If you or someone in your household requires the regular use of electrically-powered medical equipment or other qualifying medical devices, you may be eligible for the Medical Baseline Allowance program.
This program provides an additional 16.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per day. Provided at the lowest baseline rate, this helps offset the cost of operating essential medical equipment.