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Residential Storage Initiative

Residential Storage Initiative

Phone number
559-500-3550
Category
Home
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Eligibility
PG&E residential customers with 5+ EPSS outages since Jan 1, 2024, enrolled in CARE/FERA/Medical Baseline/Self-Identified Vulnerable program; single-family home with own meter
Auto Summary
PG&E will install a backup battery (10–13 kWh, valued over $15,000) in your home for FREE if you live in a high-outage area and meet income or medical rules. It keeps your fridge, lights, medical equipment, and a few key outlets running about 3–5 hours during an outage. You must meet ALL three: a PG&E residential customer with your own meter at a single-family home; 5+ Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) outages since Jan 1, 2024; and enrolled in CARE, FERA, Medical Baseline, or Self-Identified Vulnerable. You can't sign up online — PG&E reaches out by letter, but if you think you qualify, join CARE/FERA/Medical Baseline first (pge.com/care, 1-800-743-5000) then call program partner RHA/Resource Innovations at 559-500-3550 to check the outreach list. Process takes 6–9 months; accepting the battery enrolls you in Power Saver Rewards. Has served 3,800+ customers since 2022. Verified 2026-05-30.
Value
Free battery storage system installation valued at over $15,000 for outage resilience
Espanol
Iniciativa de Almacenamiento Residencial - PG&E ofrece sistemas de baterias de respaldo gratuitos (valorados en mas de $15,000) a clientes residenciales vulnerables a cortes de energia en areas con EPSS.
URL
https://www.pge.com/en/outages-and-safety/outage-preparedness-and-support/general-outage-resources/residential-storage-initiative.html
Last verified 2026-05-17 — Program active. Administered by Richard Heath & Associates, now part of Resource Innovations (RHA/RI). [Source: pge.com/en/outages-and-safety/outage-preparedness-and-support/general-outage-resources/residential-storage-initiative.html (accessed 2026-05-17)]
PG&E will install a backup battery in your home for free if you live in a high-outage area and meet the income or medical rules below. The battery (10-13 kWh, worth $10,000-$15,000) keeps your fridge, lights, medical equipment, and a few key outlets running for about 3-5 hours during a power outage. Over 3,800 PG&E customers have received one since 2022.
You do not pay anything. PG&E owns the battery and you keep using it.

Who qualifies

You must meet all three rules:
  1. You are a PG&E residential customer with your own meter at a single-family home.
  1. You have had 5 or more EPSS outages since January 1, 2024. EPSS means "Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings" — PG&E shuts power off fast on certain rural lines during fire weather. If your power keeps blinking off in summer, this is probably you.
  1. You are enrolled in one of these PG&E programs:
      • CARE (discount for low-income households)
      • FERA (discount for larger low-income families)
      • Medical Baseline (for households with a medical condition needing electricity)
      • Self-Identified Vulnerable (older adults, people with disabilities, etc.)
Meeting all three does not guarantee a battery — supply is limited and PG&E picks from its outreach list. [Source: pge.com (accessed 2026-05-17)]

How much you get

  • One battery storage system, 10-13 kWh
  • Valued at $10,000-$15,000
  • Installation, permits, and interconnection fees: all free
  • Backs up 4-5 circuits you pick (fridge, medical equipment, key lights, etc.)
  • Runs about 3-5 hours per outage on average

How to apply

You cannot just sign up online. PG&E reaches out to eligible customers directly with a letter.
If you think you qualify but have not been contacted:
  1. Check or join CARE/FERA/Medical Baseline first at pge.com/care or call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000. Free to apply. If you are not in one of these programs, you cannot get the battery.
  1. Call RHA/Resource Innovations directly: 559-500-3550 (Mon-Fri business hours) or email pgeresidentialstorage@resourceinnovations.com. Ask them to check whether your address is on the outreach list.
  1. If you got a letter from PG&E, fill out the survey it points to. RHA will call you to do a phone prequalification, then schedule a site visit.
The full process — survey, site visit, permits, install, interconnection — takes 6 to 9 months in most cases. [Source: pge.com (accessed 2026-05-17)]

What happens after you apply

  1. Outreach & Prequalification — RHA calls and runs a short survey.
  1. Site Assessment — A technician visits to check your electrical panel and pick which circuits the battery will support. Tell them if you have solar.
  1. Permitting — RHA pulls the local permit. Can take several weeks.
  1. Installation — 1-2 full workdays of work in your electrical panel.
  1. Interconnection & Permission to Operate — PG&E inspects, then turns the system on. You cannot use it before this step.
When you accept the battery, you are also enrolled in Power Saver Rewards, a demand-response program. On hot days PG&E may ask you to cut power use for a few hours, and you earn money for doing it. Enrollment is required to get the free battery.

Common pitfalls

  • No letter, no entry on most days. Outreach is driven by PG&E's internal list. If you don't fit the EPSS-outage profile, calling RHA usually will not help.
  • Renters generally do not qualify — you need to be the account holder at a single-family home with your own meter. Mobile homes in parks usually don't fit.
  • If you have solar already, say so at the site assessment. Some solar setups need extra design work, and a few are not compatible.
  • You cannot turn the battery on yourself after install. PG&E must grant "Permission to Operate" first.
  • This is not the same as the Permanent Battery Storage Rebate. That one pays you back after you buy a battery yourself. RSI is fully free but only for select customers.

Where to get help

  • PG&E customer service: 1-800-743-5000 — for CARE/FERA/Medical Baseline enrollment
  • 211 — dial 2-1-1 from any phone for help finding low-income energy and outage support in your county

Sources