San José Clean Energy or PG&E: what a household pays beta
San José Clean Energy buys the electricity; PG&E delivers it and sends the bill. Pick your city, rate plan and usage to see the official comparison of a typical bill on each San José Clean Energy product and on PG&E, with an estimate for your own usage.
Every plan on the official comparison
The typical monthly bill printed on the comparison for each residential rate plan, and the difference from PG&E (red: more, blue: less).
San José
PG&E–San José Clean Energy joint rate comparison: PG&E rates current as of March 1, 2026 · SJCE rates current as of March 1, 2026. Source (fetched 2026-10-20).
| Plan | Typical use | PG&E | GreenSource default | TotalGreen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 Tiered · sheet: E-1 | 388 kWh | $159.75 | $159.06 −0.4% | $162.93 +2.0% |
| E-1 CARE Tiered · sheet: E-1L | 393 kWh | $91.15 | $87.33 −4.2% | $91.26 +0.1% |
| E-TOU-C Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm every day · sheet: E-TOU C | 377 kWh | $152.37 | $151.09 −0.8% | $154.86 +1.6% |
| E-TOU-C CARE Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm every day · sheet: E-TOU CL | 388 kWh | $87.58 | $83.47 −4.7% | $87.34 −0.3% |
| E-TOU-D Time-of-use, peak 5–8 pm weekdays · sheet: E-TOU D | 643 kWh | $251.65 | $249.40 −0.9% | $255.83 +1.7% |
| E-TOU-D CARE Time-of-use, peak 5–8 pm weekdays · sheet: E-TOU DL | 608 kWh | $140.06 | $133.30 −4.8% | $139.39 −0.5% |
| E-ELEC Electric home · sheet: E-ELEC | 921 kWh | $328.74 | $326.84 −0.6% | $336.04 +2.2% |
| E-ELEC CARE Electric home · sheet: E-ELECL | 927 kWh | $194.91 | $187.81 −3.6% | $197.08 +1.1% |
| EV2-A Electric vehicle · sheet: EV2-A | 736 kWh | $242.18 | $241.51 −0.3% | $248.87 +2.8% |
| EV2-A CARE Electric vehicle · sheet: EV2-AL | 804 kWh | $151.52 | $145.69 −3.8% | $153.73 +1.5% |
Why the bills differ
The delivery part of the bill goes to PG&E whichever provider you choose. What differs is the price of the power itself and the exit fee (the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment, PCIA): a charge on CCA customers for power contracts the utility signed before they left, set by the CPUC each year by the year the customer's community left (its “vintage”). How it moved since 2018, by utility and vintage: the exit fee by year.
Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm every day (E-TOU-C), GreenSource: the power price is 7.23¢ a kWh against PG&E's 12.22¢ (5.00¢ lower). The exit fee and franchise fee (PCIA/FF) is 3.74¢ for San José Clean Energy customers and −0.92¢ for PG&E customers (4.66¢ more). Delivery is the same. Net: −0.34¢ a kWh, or −$1.28 on the typical 377 kWh bill (−0.8%).
Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm every day (E-TOU-C), CARE, GreenSource: the power price is 6.50¢ a kWh against PG&E's 12.21¢ (5.72¢ lower). The exit fee and franchise fee (PCIA/FF) is 3.74¢ for San José Clean Energy customers and −0.92¢ for PG&E customers (4.66¢ more). Delivery is the same. Net: −1.06¢ a kWh, or −$4.11 on the typical 388 kWh bill (−4.7%).
The difference over time
Every comparison found from 2021 on, most of them from archived copies (utilities overwrite these sheets in place).
| Rates as of | Plan | Utility bill | Products (vs the utility) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1, 2026 City of San Jose | E-TOU-C · 377 kWh | $152.37 | GreenSource default $151.09 −0.8% TotalGreen $154.86 +1.6% | source |
| PG&E January 1, 2026 / CCA March 1, 2026 City of San Jose | E-1 · 411 kWh | $168.38 | GreenSource default $167.65 −0.4% TotalGreen $171.76 +2.0% | source |
| March 1, 2026 City of San Jose | E-1 · 388 kWh | $159.75 | GreenSource default $159.06 −0.4% TotalGreen $162.93 +2.0% | source |
| PG&E September 1, 2025 / CCA May 1, 2025 City of San Jose | E-1 · 411 kWh | $177.27 | GreenSource default $172.23 −2.8% TotalGreen $176.34 −0.5% | source |
| June 1, 2025 City of San Jose | E-TOU-C · 400 kWh | $174.10 | GreenSource default $170.21 −2.2% TotalGreen $174.21 +0.1% | source |
| March 1, 2025 City of San Jose | E-1 · 411 kWh | $181.24 | GreenSource default $176.20 −2.8% TotalGreen $180.31 −0.5% | source |
| January 1, 2025 City of San Jose | E-1 · 411 kWh | $178.51 | GreenSource default $176.06 −1.4% TotalGreen $180.16 +0.9% | source |
| PG&E October 1, 2024 / CCA August 15, 2024 City of San Jose | E-1 · 410 kWh | $177.88 | GreenSource default $176.27 −0.9% TotalGreen $180.37 +1.4% | source |
| June 1, 2024 City of San Jose | E-TOU-C · 405 kWh | $184.41 | GreenSource default $180.31 −2.2% TotalGreen $184.36 0.0% | source |
| PG&E April 1, 2024 / CCA February 15, 2024 City of San Jose | E-1 · 410 kWh | $188.79 | GreenSource default $183.61 −2.7% TotalGreen $187.70 −0.6% | source |
| June 1, 2023 City of San Jose | E-1 · 418 kWh | $151.04 | GreenSource default $149.49 −1.0% TotalGreen $153.67 +1.7% | source |
| June 1, 2023 City of San Jose | E-TOU-C · 416 kWh | $147.89 | GreenSource default $148.49 +0.4% TotalGreen $152.05 +2.8% | source |
| March 1, 2023 City of San Jose | E-1 · 418 kWh | $154.06 | GreenSource default $152.51 −1.0% TotalGreen $156.69 +1.7% | source |
| January 1, 2023 City of San Jose | E-1 · 418 kWh | $147.27 | GreenSource default $145.71 −1.1% TotalGreen $149.89 +1.8% | source |
| March 1, 2022 City of San Jose | E-TOU-C · 354 kWh | $119.37 | GreenValue $119.37 0.0% GreenSource default $123.60 +3.5% TotalGreen $127.14 +6.5% | source |
| March 1, 2021 City of San Jose | E-1 · 478 kWh | $135.10 | GreenSource default $134.97 −0.1% TotalGreen $139.75 +3.4% | source |
| March 1, 2021 City of San Jose | E-TOU-C · 465 kWh | $132.35 | GreenSource default $132.22 −0.1% TotalGreen $136.87 +3.4% | source |
Your options
Switch to another San José Clean Energy product
Web form (embedded) or phone 833-432-2454. San José Clean Energy: change your product.
Return to PG&E
San José Clean Energy: opt out · 833-432-2454.
“Is there a fee to opt out? There is no charge for opting out of SJCE.” source
“If you opt out before starting SJCE service or within the first 60 days of service you may return at any time, free of charge. Customers who opt out after the first 60 days of service with SJCE are prohibited by California regulation from returning to SJCE for one year.” source
PG&E's rules for returning customers
After 60 days: six months’ notice: “Former Bundled Service Customers that have been Automatically Enrolled in CCA Service returning to bundled service after the Follow-up Notification Period must provide the CCA with a six (6) month advance notice and are subject to the terms and conditions of Bundled Portfolio Service (BPS) as set forth below.” source
Or return at once: “Alternatively, customers have the ability to return immediately (at or about the next scheduled meter read) to Utility service and receive Transitional Bundled Service (TBS) commodity pricing terms as set forth in PG&E Schedule TBCC and be subject to the provisions and applicable charges of the CCA Cost Responsibility Surcharge as set forth in Schedule CCA-CRS for 6 months after returning to utility service.” source
Then a minimum stay: “Customers receiving this service make a one-year commitment and shall not be allowed to return to CCA service until their one-year minimum period has been completed. ... In the event a customer receives service under TBS during the six-month advance notice period, the time served under TBS shall apply toward the one-year BPS commitment.” source
Re-entry fee: “b. CUSTOMER RE-ENTRY This charge is imposed on the customer. This fee covers the cost of processing customer requests to switch back to PG&E Bundled Service after the Opt-Out period has expired. Fee ... $4.24 account” source
San José Clean Energy also offers its own bill calculator, which takes your usage by time of day: San José Clean Energy bill comparison calculator.
Member cities and their default product
The default product is the one a city's customers are enrolled in unless they choose another; where a CCA offers several, each member city's council chooses it. Every city's default and the council decisions behind it.
San José Clean Energy in the CCA money pages: finances, credit ratings, money returned to customers, and money between San José Clean Energy and its member city governments. · Every CCA