Riverside City Council
January 27, 2026

1/14/2026
1 RiversideCA.gov1
RiversideCA.gov
SHARE PROGRAM MONTHLY AND EMERGENCY/DEPOSIT ASSISTANCECity Council January 27, 2026Customer Engagement RiversideCA.gov2
BACKGROUND1. Sharing Households Assist Riverside’s Energy (SHARE) is a low-income assistance program offered since 19892. Originally funded by customer donations - today it is a combination of donations, Public Benefits funds, and water funds 3. SHARE comprises two elements: a. Monthly credit on electric and water bills b. Deposit/urgent notice benefit, only applied to assist qualified customers with deposit requirements or a 48-hour notice of disconnection 1/14/2026
2 RiversideCA.gov3
BACKGROUNDThe two elements of SHARE were approved separately Program DetailsCity Council Approval DateSHARE AssistanceDeposit assistance was increased from $150 to $250 as part of COVID-19 support. The action indicated it would revert to $150 when the State Emergency endedMarch 23, 2021Deposit/Urgent Notice AssistanceMonthly electric and water bill credit assistance was approved through 2024 but was intended to align with future rate increases though 2028September 19, 2023Monthly Assistance RiversideCA.gov4
SHARE DEPOSIT/URGENT NOTICE ASSISTANCE1. During the COVID-19 pandemic, City Council approved an increase in the SHARE emergency/deposit credit from $150 to $250a. Many low-income customers were required to work during the shut down and did not qualify for the Emergency Recovery Assistance Program (ERAP) assistanceb. Increase to the SHARE deposit/urgent assistance was linked to the pandemic and it was indicated it would revert to $150 post-COVID2. The change back to $150 was inadvertently not administered and the assistance has remained at $250 since the pandemic3. Staff is requesting to make the $250 deposit/emergency assistance permanent retroactively from February 23, 2023, and to maintain it in future yearsa. A total of 12,315 customers had received assistance as of the preparation of this report resulting in $1,231,500 of funds being dispersedb. RPU’s budget included the $250 amount for future benefits and, to date the benefits have already been dispersed, there is no fiscal impact 1/14/2026
3 RiversideCA.gov5
SHARE MONTHLY ASSISTANCE1. SHARE monthly assistance has been provided since 2018. 2. There have been annual increases to SHARE monthly credits, generally aligned with planned rate increases Monthly Water CreditMonthly Electric CreditCity Council Approval Date$2.50$14.50July 2, 2019$2.75$15.00July 21, 2020$3.00$15.50August 3, 2021$3.25$16.00May 17, 2022 RiversideCA.gov6
SHARE MONTHLY ASSISTANCE1. On August 28, 2023, the Board of Public Utilities recommended City Council approve SHARE monthly benefit increases in alignment with annual rate increases for both water and electric 2. On September 19, 2023, the City Council approved water and electric rate increases through 2028 3. Report recommendation was reworded for the City Council approval and inadvertently limited the increases to only provide for SHARE water and electric monthly assistance increases through 2024 1/14/2026
4 RiversideCA.gov7
SHARE MONTHLY CREDIT AMOUNTS 1. The tables below highlight the proposed SHARE increases which were intended to be approved in the original report but were not included in the action by the City Council.2. Increases for 2024 dates were included in the Council action but inadvertently did not include increases for 2025 through 20283. The costs associated with the SHARE increases were and will be included in the RPU budget – there is no fiscal impact and future increases will be included in the budgets.Monthly Electric CreditDate$16January 1, 2023$20January 1, 2024$24January 1, 2025$28January 1, 2026$29January 1, 2027$30January 1, 2028Monthly Water CreditDate$3.25July 1, 2022$4.25October 1, 2023$4.75July 1, 2024$5.25July 1, 2025$5.75July 1, 2026$6.25July 1, 2027 RiversideCA.gov8
That the City Council:1. Approve increasing to the SHARE deposit/urgent notice assistance from $150 to $250, effective from the end of the State of California’s COVID-19 Emergency on February 28, 2023; and2. Approve continuing the SHARE monthly assistance increases in alignment with planned water and electric rate increases for calendar year 2025 through 2028.RECOMMENDATIONS