How much money will you get back to cover high SoCalGas bills?

While Southern California Gas Co. customers will pay 68% less for natural gas this month than in January, prices are still well above their levels of a year ago.

Relief could arrive sooner than expected: The California Public Utilities Commission will meet on Thursday to determine whether to speed up payments from the California Climate Credit.

The credit was put in place to offset higher energy costs to consumers due to a cap-and-trade program through which the California Air Resources Board sells carbon pollution permits to industrial gas emitters at greenhouse effect.

Payments, which usually take place in April and October, can be moved to February. They are designed to cover the cost of a government program to reduce carbon emissions, but not to meet rising wholesale natural gas prices, a CPUC spokesperson confirmed.

The 2023 California Natural Gas Climate Credit will be $50.77 for SoCalGas customers, about the average for customers of the four covered utilities, according to the CPUC’s website.

Customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Electricity will not receive credit for their electric bills because the CPUC does not regulate utilities. The average electricity credit payment for private utility customers will be approximately $62, usually split into two installments.

The payment schedule could be brought forward this year. Republican state senators wrote a letter to the commission on Monday urging it to speed up the distribution of California’s climate credits.

The CPUC “will consider accelerating the climate credit that customers receive on their bills to provide much-needed support,” the commission said in a statement.

At another meeting on Feb. 7, the commission will “explore potential measures to mitigate the impact of volatility in the natural gas and electricity markets,” the statement said.

In the meantime, Southern California residents can follow these tips to stay warm while saving natural gas.