If you pay a PG&E bill in Fresno County or anywhere else PG&E serves in the Valley, you may qualify for a monthly discount through the California Alternate Rates for Energy program, known as CARE.

According to PG&E, CARE gives a discount of 20% or more on gas and 35% or more on electricity. The California Public Utilities Commission oversees the program, which is paid for by a surcharge on other customers' bills.

Who qualifies

You can qualify two ways. The first is through another program. If you or anyone in your home gets Medi-Cal, CalFresh, WIC, SSI, free school lunch, LIHEAP, TANF, Head Start (tribal, income-eligible) or Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, you can qualify, according to the CPUC.

The second way is by income. Add up the total yearly income, before taxes, of everyone who lives in the home. That includes wages, Social Security, pensions, child support, public assistance and self-employment income. These limits are good through May 31, 2027:

Other rules from PG&E: the bill has to be in your name, you have to live at that address, no one other than your spouse can claim you as a dependent on taxes, and you can't share a meter with another home. Renters whose landlord bills them for power, called sub-metered tenants, can still apply with the landlord's help.

If you earn a little too much

The Family Electric Rate Assistance program, FERA, is for households whose income is just over the CARE limit. It gives a monthly discount on electricity only. Use the FERA column above, or call 1-800-743-5000.

After you sign up

PG&E may ask for proof of income later. You have to renew at least every two years, or every four years if you are on a fixed income. Tell PG&E if your household stops qualifying.

CalFresh puts money on an EBT card each month to buy food. In Fresno County, the Department of Social Services handles applications, and you can start one online at any hour.

Who can get it

According to Fresno County, CalFresh is open to residents with low or no income, including people experiencing homelessness. College students, SSI recipients and WIC recipients can qualify, and some immigrants can qualify depending on their status.

Your benefit amount depends on your monthly income and household size, minus costs like rent, utilities, child care and child support. Households with someone 60 or older or with a disability can also count medical costs.

If you are not sure about immigration status, the county says to talk to an eligibility worker. Parents who don't qualify can still apply for their U.S.-born children, and the county says getting CalFresh will not count against you when you apply to become a citizen or permanent resident.

Four ways to apply

• Online, 24 hours a day, at BenefitsCal.com.
• By mail to PO Box 1912, Fresno, CA 93718-1912.
• By fax to (559) 600-7706.
• In person at a Fresno County DSS office. Drop boxes are outside DSS lobbies 24/7.

You only need your name, address and signature to turn in an application. Your application date counts from the day it is received, so don't wait to gather every document. Printable forms are on the county's CalFresh page in English and Spanish.

Need food right away?

Every application is checked for expedited service, which can mean benefits within three business days. You may qualify if your household earns less than $150 a month and has less than $100 on hand, if your income and cash are less than your rent and utilities, or if you are a migrant or seasonal farmworker with $100 or less. Otherwise, the county says benefits come within 30 days once your information is verified.

Wednesdays are different

The DSS phone lines have automated service only on Wednesdays. Eligibility workers answer Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.