The California Alternate Rates for Energy program, known as CARE, takes 32.5% off Southern California Edison electric bills and 20% off SoCalGas natural gas bills. There are two ways in. One is household income. The other is simpler: if anyone living in your home is enrolled in Medi-Cal, CalFresh, SSI, or one of several other public programs, your household qualifies.
That second route matters for IHSS households, because IHSS requires a Medi-Cal eligibility determination. This article covers CARE, the smaller FERA discount at SCE, the Medical Baseline Allowance (which has no income test at all), what happens if medical equipment pushes your usage high, and how to apply. Income limits apply June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027.
Four programs, two utilities
- CARESCE + SoCalGas
32.5% off SCE electric; 20% off SoCalGas gas
Income up to 200% of poverty guidelines, or anyone in the home on Medi-Cal, CalFresh, SSI, and other listed programs
- FERASCE only
18% off SCE electric
Income just above the CARE limit, up to 250% of poverty guidelines
- Medical BaselineSCE + SoCalGas
Extra energy billed at the lowest rate
No income test; a medical professional certifies the need
- ESASCE
Free energy-saving upgrades
Same program list as CARE, or income up to 250% of poverty guidelines (SCE figures)
Income limits shown in this article apply June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027. CARE and Medical Baseline can be combined.
First, check the name on the bill
These programs belong to SCE and SoCalGas, which are regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). If a city-owned utility sends your electric bill, the SCE programs below do not apply to your electricity; call that utility and ask what it offers. SoCalGas may still be your gas company either way.
SoCalGas lists these conditions for CARE. CARE rules are set statewide by the CPUC, so expect similar terms at SCE:
- The bill is in your name, and the address is your primary home.
- You are not claimed as a dependent on another person’s income tax return, other than your spouse’s.
- You recertify when the utility asks, and you tell the utility within 30 days if you no longer qualify.
- You may be asked to prove eligibility after you enroll.
Worth knowing: The dependent rule is about the account holder. SoCalGas requires that the customer on the account not be claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return (a spouse is fine), and CARE rules are set statewide by the CPUC. If a parent claims an adult son or daughter with a disability as a dependent, and the utility account is in that adult child's name, the account does not meet the rule. The usual fix is to have the account in the name of someone who is not claimed as a dependent. Ask the utility how to change the account holder before you apply.
CARE: the biggest discount
State law requires the CPUC to run CARE for households with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, and it sets a one-person household’s limit at the two-person level. That is why the income table below starts with “1–2.” For large electric utilities such as SCE, the law requires an average discount between 30% and 35%. SCE’s is 32.5%. SoCalGas gives 20% off the gas bill.
SCE CARE customers also pay a lower monthly Base Services Charge: about $6 a month instead of the standard $24.15. The exact amount varies with the number of days in the billing cycle.
Way 1: someone in your home is in a qualifying program
SCE and SoCalGas list the same programs. If you or anyone living with you participates in one, you qualify for CARE:
- Medi-Cal / Medicaid, including Medi-Cal for Families (formerly Healthy Families A & B)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- CalFresh (SNAP / food stamps)
- CalWORKs (TANF) or Tribal TANF
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Head Start Income Eligible (tribal only) and Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
Way 2: your household income
Count the total gross income of everyone living in the home, before taxes and deductions. SoCalGas notes that if someone was recently laid off, household income is counted from the date of unemployment. CARE limits are the same at both utilities.
Yearly household income limits
Total gross income of everyone living in the home, before taxes and deductions. Effective June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027.
| Household size | CARE: up to | FERA range (SCE only) |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | $43,280 | $43,281 – $54,100 |
| 3 | $54,640 | $54,641 – $68,300 |
| 4 | $66,000 | $66,001 – $82,500 |
| 5 | $77,360 | $77,361 – $96,700 |
| 6 | $88,720 | $88,721 – $110,900 |
| 7 | $100,080 | $100,081 – $125,100 |
| 8 | $111,440 | $111,441 – $139,300 |
| Each additional person | add $11,360 | add $11,360 |
CARE limits are the same at SCE and SoCalGas. SoCalGas does not offer FERA. Source: SCE and SoCalGas program pages.
Worth knowing: Why IHSS households start with an advantage. The California Department of Social Services lists a Medi-Cal eligibility determination as a requirement for IHSS. SCE and SoCalGas both accept Medi-Cal for anyone living in the home as a qualifying program for CARE. On that route, your household income is not measured against the income table. A parent who earns a paycheck, including IHSS provider wages, does not knock the household out if the family member receiving IHSS is on Medi-Cal. The one exception is the high-usage review described later in this article.
Flag: Share of cost and the Medi-Cal exception. The utility program lists say only “Medi-Cal/Medicaid.” We found no published SCE or SoCalGas guidance on whether Medi-Cal with a monthly share of cost counts. State IHSS regulations also allow a narrow exception to the Medi-Cal requirement, so a small number of IHSS recipients may not be on Medi-Cal at all. If either applies to you, check the income table as well, and keep your most recent Medi-Cal notice in case you are asked to verify.
FERA: for households just over the CARE limit (SCE only)
The Family Electric Rate Assistance program gives an 18% discount on SCE electric bills, plus a reduced Base Services Charge of about $12 a month. It covers households whose income falls between the CARE limit and 250% of the federal poverty guidelines; the ranges are in the table above. SoCalGas does not offer FERA.
You do not choose between CARE and FERA. State law requires a single application, and SCE checks which program fits.
Flag: Older guides say FERA is for households of three or more. SCE's current income table (June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027) lists FERA income ranges for households of one and two people as well. Go by the utility's current table, not an older flyer or article.
Medical Baseline: no income test
Medical Baseline gives you more energy at the lowest rate. It is not tied to income, so a household that earns too much for CARE may still qualify. It comes from Public Utilities Code §739(c), which requires an extra allowance for people who depend on life-support equipment and names several conditions. You apply separately at each utility, and a licensed medical professional has to certify the need.
- SCE: an extra 16.5 kWh per day at the lowest baseline rate, or a flat 11% discount on rate plans without a baseline, such as Time-of-Use. Qualifying reasons include regular use of electrically powered medical or life-support equipment (SCE’s list includes motorized wheelchairs and scooters, oxygen generators and concentrators, CPAP machines, hospital beds and air mattresses, suction machines, and infusion pumps), sensitivity to temperature that requires air conditioning, and conditions that require heating or cooling.
- SoCalGas: an extra 0.822 therms per day, about 25 therms a month, at the lowest rate, for someone who needs additional heat because of a medical condition. The account does not have to be in the patient’s name, landlord-billed renters can qualify, and it can be combined with CARE.
Recertification differs. At SCE, a condition certified as permanent needs only your own Part 1 form every four years; a non-permanent condition needs a new medical signature every two years. SoCalGas’s 2021 application form describes a self-certification every two years for permanent conditions, and for non-permanent conditions a yearly self-certification plus a new medical certification every two years.
SCE (electric)
- What you get
- An extra 16.5 kWh per day at the lowest baseline rate. On rate plans without a baseline, such as Time-of-Use, a flat 11% discount instead.
- Who qualifies
- Someone in the home regularly uses electrically powered medical or life-support equipment (including a motorized wheelchair or scooter), is sensitive to temperature and needs air conditioning, or has a condition that requires heating or cooling.
- Recertify
- Every 2 to 4 years. Permanent condition: you complete Part 1 every 4 years, no doctor signature. Non-permanent: Part 1 and Part 2 every 2 years.
- Contact
- 1-800-655-4555
SoCalGas (gas)
- What you get
- An extra 0.822 therms per day, about 25 therms a month, at the lowest rate.
- Who qualifies
- Someone in the home needs additional heat because of a medical condition. SoCalGas gives examples including paraplegia, quadriplegia, hemiplegia, multiple sclerosis, scleroderma, a compromised immune system, or a life-threatening illness.
- Good to know
- The account does not have to be in the patient’s name. Renters billed by a landlord can qualify. It can be combined with CARE.
- Contact
- 1-800-427-2200
If medical equipment makes your usage high
Many IHSS households use more electricity than average for reasons they cannot change: oxygen, ventilators, power wheelchairs, hospital beds, climate control. State law lets a utility take a closer look at CARE customers whose use runs far above baseline.
Warning: High usage can trigger a review, even if you enrolled through Medi-Cal. Under Public Utilities Code §739.1(j), if a CARE customer's electricity use goes over 400% of baseline in a billing period, the utility may ask for proof of income and require an Energy Savings Assistance home assessment, no matter how you enrolled. Above 600%, the assessment is required, and a customer who stays above 600% afterward can be removed from CARE. The law keeps an appeal open to show the usage is legitimate, and renters cannot be removed because a landlord does not respond. If medical equipment drives your usage, enroll in Medical Baseline and keep your medical documentation where you can find it.
Medical Baseline adds to your baseline allocation, which may lower your usage when it is measured as a percentage of baseline. We could not confirm how SCE counts the Medical Baseline allowance in its high-usage review, so ask SCE directly if you receive a notice. SCE posts a CARE High Usage Appeals form on its CARE page.
How to apply
- Confirm your utilities. SCE for electricity and SoCalGas for gas, as shown on your bills.
- Apply for CARE (and FERA) at SCE. Online at sce.com/apps/iqp, through SCE’s automated line at 1-800-798-5723, or by mailing the paper form (a large-print version is available). SCE says no documents are required to apply.
- Apply for CARE at SoCalGas. Online through SoCalGas My Account, by mail to SoCalGas CARE Program, P.O. Box 3249, Los Angeles, CA 90051-1249, or by fax to 1-213-244-4665. Questions: 1-800-427-2200; TDD/TTY 1-800-252-0259 (English and Spanish).
- Apply for Medical Baseline at each utility. SCE’s online form sends an electronic signature request to your medical professional, so have their email address ready. By mail, SCE’s address is Medical Baseline Allowance Department, P.O. Box 9527, Azusa, CA 91702-9954. Kaiser Permanente patients submit the form through their local Kaiser Release of Information department. For SoCalGas, call 1-800-427-2200 or apply online.
- Check your next bills. SCE says an approved Medical Baseline allocation shows up within one to two billing cycles. Look for the CARE or FERA line on each bill.
If you are asked to verify
Neither utility asks for proof when you apply, but either can ask later. SCE accepts proof of income or proof of participation in a qualifying program. If you enrolled through Medi-Cal, a current Medi-Cal notice for someone in the household is the natural document to send; check the utility’s acceptable-documents list first. SCE asks you to black out the first five digits of your Social Security number on anything you send.
Clock: 90 days to send proof (SCE). If SCE asks you to verify, you have 90 days from the date on the letter or email, and your discount stays on until that due date. Online submissions get a response in about 24 to 48 hours; mail takes about three weeks to a month. If you miss the date, you can still send the documents, and SCE reinstates the discount when it approves them.
SoCalGas posts its own verification instructions and an acceptable-documents guide on its CARE page, with an online upload option.
Other help worth asking about
- Energy Savings Assistance (ESA): no-cost upgrades such as refrigerators, heat pump water heaters, cooling equipment, and weatherization for homeowners and renters. At SCE you qualify through the same program list as CARE or with income up to 250% of the poverty guidelines. Renters may need the owner’s written permission. SoCalGas also takes part in ESA; we did not verify its current terms.
- Arrearage Management Plan (AMP): if you are on CARE or FERA and owe SCE more than $500, some of it more than 90 days past due, SCE forgives the past-due amount (up to $8,000) after 12 on-time monthly payments. SoCalGas offers past-due forgiveness to eligible CARE customers through its own AMP.
- LIHEAP: one-time help with energy bills through the state’s Department of Community Services and Development and local agencies. Enrollment in LIHEAP also counts as a qualifying program for CARE.
- California LifeLine: SoCalGas points CARE customers to this separate program for discounted phone service.
Who to call
Utility staff can confirm your enrollment and tell you what they need from you. For help with a denial or removal you think is wrong, find free legal help at LawHelpCA.org.
- SCE CARE/FERA (automated line)1-800-798-5723
- SCE Medical Baseline1-800-655-4555
- SoCalGas CARE and Medical Baseline1-800-427-2200
- SoCalGas TDD/TTY (English and Spanish)1-800-252-0259
Sources
- SCE — CARE & FERA Discounted Rates — 32.5% CARE and 18% FERA discounts; reduced Base Services Charge; June 2026–May 2027 income table; qualifying programs; how to apply; 1-800-798-5723.
- SCE — CARE/FERA Post-Enrollment Verification — 90-day verification window, response times, discount status while pending, reinstatement, Social Security number redaction.
- SCE — Medical Baseline Allowance — 16.5 kWh per day or 11% on Time-of-Use plans; eligibility; qualifying devices; therapy exclusion; recertification; 1-800-655-4555.
- SCE — Energy Savings Assistance Program — No-cost upgrades; 250% income table; qualifying programs; homeowners and renters.
- SCE — Arrearage Management Plan — Past-due forgiveness for CARE/FERA customers; $500 and 90-day thresholds; 12 on-time payments; up to $8,000.
- SoCalGas — California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) — 20% gas discount; qualifying programs; income table; conditions for participation; mail, fax, and phone.
- SoCalGas — Medical Baseline Allowance Program — 0.822 therms per day (about 25 a month); not income-based; account need not be in patient's name; landlord-billed customers; combining programs.
- SoCalGas — Medical Baseline Information & Application (PDF, 2021 edition) — Qualifying conditions for additional heat; recertification schedule for permanent and non-permanent conditions.
- CPUC — CARE/FERA Program — 30–35% electric and 20% gas CARE discounts; standard Base Services Charge of $24.15.
- Public Utilities Code §739.1 — 200% of federal poverty guidelines; one-person households use the two-person level; 30–35% average discount; categorical eligibility authority; single CARE/FERA application; 400% and 600% high-usage rules, appeals, renter protection.
- Public Utilities Code §739 — Statutory basis for Medical Baseline; definition of life-support equipment; conditions named in the statute.
- CDSS — In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program — Medi-Cal eligibility determination as an IHSS requirement.
- CDSS — MPP §30-752 regulation text (rulemaking file) — Medi-Cal eligibility determination required “unless the conditions in Section 30-759.3 are met.”
- California Department of Community Services & Development — LIHEAP — State home energy assistance program referenced for bill help.
The Public Utilities Code and the CPUC are the primary authorities throughout. Where a utility's web page and the statute differ, the statute governs.
About this article
IHSS Connect publishes this article for general information and education. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. IHSS Connect is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the California Public Utilities Commission, Southern California Edison, SoCalGas, the California Department of Social Services, or any county agency.
Program rules, discount amounts, and income limits change. Only your utility can decide whether your household qualifies, and only your county can answer questions about your Medi-Cal or IHSS case.
If a decision on your account looks wrong, or you want advice about your own situation, talk to someone who can look at it:
- Free and low-cost legal help: LawHelpCA.org
- SCE CARE/FERA: 1-800-798-5723
- SoCalGas CARE: 1-800-427-2200
Income limits reflect June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027. Verified September 2026.
