Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)

Complaints & Reviews on USAComplaints

USAComplaints currently maintains 15 historical complaints about Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), published between 2006 and 2013. No approved complaints have been published on this site during the last three years. For a current reputation snapshot, see the independent sources below.

• Electric bill more than doubled while away from homePublished Mar 29, 2013 · Historical consumer allegation
• Smart meter noise inside the home and EMF concernsPublished Apr 27, 2012 · Historical consumer allegation
• $502.90 taken by automatic payment I never authorizedPublished Nov 8, 2011 · Historical consumer allegation
• Neighborhood explosion raises questions about aging equipmentPublished Mar 1, 2011 · Historical consumer allegation
• Billed for wrong electric meter for 11 months with no actionPublished Jan 7, 2011 · Historical consumer allegation
• Refuses to review monitored power use evidence in overcharge casePublished Jul 2, 2010 · Historical consumer allegation
• Bill over $400 after smart meter installed despite low usePublished May 14, 2010 · Historical consumer allegation
• Credit report shows $1,625 utility bill that is not minePublished Mar 12, 2010 · Historical consumer allegation
• $300 deferred deposit demanded for bad credit or disconnectionPublished Dec 30, 2009 · Historical consumer allegation
• Power shut off over mistaken $5,000 charge on disability incomePublished Oct 27, 2009 · Historical consumer allegation
• Power shut off despite payment arrangement on old billPublished Mar 21, 2008 · Historical consumer allegation
• $980 bill and advice to keep air conditioning at 86 degreesPublished Feb 22, 2008 · Historical consumer allegation
• High bills of $730 after smart meter installedPublished Dec 10, 2007 · Historical consumer allegation
• Bill up 400% in two years despite efficient appliancesPublished Feb 13, 2007 · Historical consumer allegation
• Medical baseline request not applied to gas bill since JanuaryPublished Apr 23, 2006 · Historical consumer allegation

Complaint Themes

Each tag reflects a complaint's single primary theme (not every angle it raised), and complaints outside any problem theme — a positive report, or one later retracted by its author — aren't tagged. Counts may total less than the full complaint count above.

Independent Sources

Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.

Contacts

• PG&E website (pge.com): https://www.pge.com/
• Utility SEC registrant phone (not customer service): 415-973-7000
• CPUC Consumer Affairs Branch (regulator, not PG&E): 1-800-649-7570 2 complaints mention this number
• CPUC online complaint portal (regulator, not PG&E): https://cims.cpuc.ca.gov/complaints/Home/FileComplaint

Locations

PG&E customers: disputing a bill, shut-offs and where to complain (checked October 16, 2026)

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) delivers electricity and natural gas in northern and central California and is primarily regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The steps below follow CPUC pages opened on October 16, 2026. PG&E's own website (pge.com) returned 'Access Denied' to our automated checks that day, so PG&E's current phone numbers and forms are not quoted here; use the number and web address printed on your bill or in your online account.

Start with PG&E. CPUC says to contact the utility directly about what you are billed for, the rates, bill explanations, account status, payments, extensions and payment arrangements, billing periods and starting or cancelling service. If you believe you were billed for something you did not order or were overcharged, CPUC says to first try to resolve it with the utility, and to keep a record of each contact: the representative's name, the call date and the details of the discussion.

If PG&E does not resolve it. CPUC's File a Complaint page says: 'If you cannot resolve the problem after talking with the utility's customer service, you may file an informal complaint with us.' Its Utility Complaint page says that if your utility provider cannot resolve your complaint, or if you are dissatisfied with the resolution, you may contact CPUC for help, and that filing your written complaint through the online portal is the fastest way. CPUC's Consumer Affairs Branch (CAB) is CPUC's line, not PG&E's: 1-800-649-7570, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; fax 1-415-703-1158; mail to California Public Utilities Commission, Consumer Affairs Branch, 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102-3298. CPUC says to call CAB if your utility service is in jeopardy of being disconnected. For a written complaint CPUC asks for specifics, such as the utility's name, your name, the account number, the service address and a chronological account of the dispute, including the utility's response. CPUC also describes a formal complaint procedure and a separate Public Safety Complaint form for gas or electric safety issues; in an emergency its pages say to call 911.

What a CPUC complaint cannot do. CPUC's formal-complaint page says: 'The CPUC, by law, cannot award damages for things like personal injury, property damage, emotional distress, or loss of wages or profits. To request compensation for damages, you can utilize the utility company's process, or file a civil court claim.' It also says formal complaints become a public record.

Shut-offs and deposits (CPUC consumer FAQ). CPUC states that before a utility disconnects service it must give a 15-day written notice, with a second notice at least 48 hours before disconnection; that utilities may not disconnect on a weekend or legal holiday unless there is a safety issue; and that for electric and gas utilities a residential deposit cannot be more than two times the average monthly bill. Late Bill Assistance and Financial Assistance are listed among CPUC's consumer links.

Meters and estimated bills (CPUC consumer FAQ). CPUC states that if bills are estimated for more than 3 months in a row the utility will let you know it needs to access the meter, and that if you opt out of a Smart Meter you may have your meters read in alternating months.

Accounts you did not open. CPUC's FAQ says that if you believe someone used your personal information to set up a service, contact your utility immediately and file a report with your local police department.

Regulators and wildfire proceedings: what the filings say

Everything in this section comes from PG&E Corporation's and the Utility's own SEC filings (the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, the Form 10-K for 2025 and two Forms 8-K), and wildfire matters are described only as those filings describe them.

CPUC and FERC. The Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 says the Utility 'is primarily regulated by the CPUC and the FERC'.

2021 Dixie fire. The filing summarizes the Cal Fire Investigation Report as stating that the fire ignited when a tree fell and contacted electrical distribution lines owned and operated by the Utility, and as alleging that the Utility acted negligently in its response to the initial outage and fault. Cal Fire's report says the fire consumed 963,309 acres and destroyed 1,311 structures. The filing states that the Utility believes its personnel acted reasonably, disagrees with many allegations in the report and plans to contest them. It adds that if the CPUC reached conclusions similar to the report, it might find the Utility imprudent, in which case some costs would not be recoverable.

2022 Mosquito fire. The filing says the U.S. Forest Service gave the Utility an initial assessment that the fire started in the area of the Utility's power line on National Forest System lands, that the Forest Service is conducting a criminal investigation, and that no cause determination had been issued. The 10-Q adds that on July 10, 2026 the CPUC's Safety and Enforcement Division (SED) published for public comment a proposed administrative consent order and agreement under which the Utility would pay $22 million and which would resolve SED's investigation into the 2022 Mosquito fire; this is a proposal, and we did not check whether it has been approved.

2018 Camp fire. The Form 10-K for 2025 (filed February 12, 2026) says a hearing on the status of restitution in the Butte County District Attorney's Office's investigation into the 2018 Camp fire had been continued several times, most recently to April 24, 2026. The 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 did not report a restitution update in the passages we checked.

Legislation. In a Form 8-K filed August 31, 2026, PG&E Corporation said it would hold an investor call on September 2, 2026 on its response to Senate Bill 492 and stated that it 'does not believe Senate Bill 492 adequately addresses the financing risks created by California's current wildfire liability framework'. That is the company's own stated position.

Bankruptcy history. The 10-Q defines the 'Emergence Date' as July 1, 2020, the effective date of the Chapter 11 plan of reorganization.

San Bruno. In its tax-audit disclosure the 10-K refers to about $850 million of 'San Bruno related safety spend' that the CPUC did not allow the Utility to recover through rates, and $400 million in customer bill credits. We did not open the underlying CPUC decisions, so no penalty amounts are stated here.

Who PG&E is: parent company, service area and regulator

Pacific Gas and Electric Company is a California corporation. The SEC record lists its business address as 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA 94612. It files combined reports with its parent: 'PG&E Corporation is a holding company whose primary operating subsidiary is Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a public utility serving northern and central California. The Utility generates revenues mainly through the sale and delivery of electricity and natural gas to customers.' The NRC oversees the licensing and operation of its nuclear generation facilities.

The BBB profile (not a company statement) lists a business start date of October 1, 1905 and describes the business as providing 'gas and electric service to Northern California'. PG&E is not the same business as other utilities with similar names; BBB also lists unrelated Pacific Gas and Electric entries in Oregon and in Newman, CA, which are not used here.

Complaint record: BBB, Trustpilot and this site's archive

As displayed on October 16, 2026. The BBB profile for Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Francisco, CA shows 'NOT a BBB Accredited Business', a BBB rating of D- with the stated reason 'Failure to respond to 260 complaint(s) filed against business', 262 total complaints in the last 3 years, 55 complaints filed in the last 12 months and, on its customer-reviews tab, 1.02 out of 5 stars as the average of 43 customer reviews, plus a BBB alert labelled 'Bankruptcy'. The Trustpilot page for pge.com shows a 1.5 score from 72 reviews and an unclaimed profile; Trustpilot says it does not fact-check reviews. These numbers come from different sources and are not added together.

This site's archive. We link 15 approved complaints posted between 2006 and 2013 whose subject is PG&E (one more post, about a collection agency calling over a PG&E bill, is linked as a non-primary mention). They are customers' accounts and are unverified. By keyword count they most often mention a bill amount or charge (13), a meter such as a smart meter or a wrongly assigned meter (8), and shut-offs, deposits or payment arrangements (4). They are old, and nothing in them shows PG&E's current practices.

Court record: Dixie and Mosquito fire claims and the Cal Fire cost suits

The Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 reports that, as of July 15, 2026, the Utility was aware of approximately 190 complaints on behalf of at least 9,062 individual plaintiffs related to the 2021 Dixie fire, seeking damages including property damage, economic loss and wrongful death, and that a 'substantial majority' of the claims had been resolved. It says no trial is scheduled after earlier dates were vacated, and that one request for a damages-only trial is pending. It also says the companies are aware of a separate putative class complaint, primarily seeking medical monitoring, in which plaintiffs moved for class certification on December 12, 2025 and the court denied the motion on July 20, 2026.

Cal Fire filed a complaint against the Utility on June 30, 2023 to recover suppression and investigation costs. According to the 10-Q, on February 7, 2025 the court sustained Cal Fire's demurrer and struck portions of the Utility's amended answer; on April 7, 2025 the Utility petitioned the California First District Court of Appeal for a writ of mandate; on February 13, 2026 the Court of Appeal denied the writ without opinion; on April 22, 2026 the California Supreme Court granted review and transferred the matter back to the Court of Appeal with directions to issue an order to show cause; and in the second quarter of 2026 the Utility and Cal Fire reached a settlement in principle.

For the 2022 Mosquito fire the 10-Q reports that, as of July 15, 2026, the companies were aware of approximately 28 complaints on behalf of at least 2,828 individual plaintiffs; that in January 2026 they entered into a settlement agreement with five public entities whose complaint was dismissed on February 4, 2026; that in April 2026 they settled with Placer County Water Agency and Middle Fork Project Finance Authority; and that Cal Fire filed a complaint for suppression and investigation costs on August 21, 2025. The next bellwether trial date is stated as November 30, 2026. These are allegations and procedural events, not findings against PG&E; the dates above are as reported in the 10-Q filed July 23, 2026.

Is Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Legitimate?

Pacific Gas and Electric Company is an SEC-reporting California corporation (CIK 75488) and, according to its filings, is primarily regulated by the CPUC; the CPUC lists it among the electric utilities it regulates. The BBB shows a D- rating and no accreditation, with the stated reason that complaints were not responded to; Trustpilot shows 1.5 from 72 reviews on an unclaimed profile. The wildfire matters above are described as allegations, investigations and procedural events in the company's own filings; the company disputes parts of them.

Court & Public Records

Related Complaints

Names this company in a role other than the primary subject — not necessarily current or complete.

• Named as the collector: Threatened with legal action over a utility bill, paid by phone

Company Relationships

• Owned by: PG&E Corporation

Frequently Asked Questions