San Francisco, California: commercial energy account guide

Local service context

For a San Francisco office, compare the actual generation arrangement and applicable charges before discussing limited Direct Access eligibility. An office with hybrid attendance can have a different operating pattern from its prior lease year. Compare occupied hours, weekend HVAC and server or network equipment that runs continuously. A low annual energy total does not show whether a few concentrated cooling intervals drive demand-related costs.

Apply the California eligibility rules

California does not provide unrestricted retail electric supplier choice. Nonresidential Direct Access participation is capped and subject to enrollment procedures. Community Choice Aggregation and utility service are different arrangements. Confirm the account’s present service and eligibility before soliciting Direct Access offers.

Gas transportation and supplier options depend on the gas utility, customer category and tariff. Verify service conditions and balancing responsibilities rather than extending an electric Direct Access assumption to gas.

Account checks before requesting offers

For this San Francisco account, resolve the service-territory and contract questions below before using a price comparison. The current invoice, exact address and account class provide the starting evidence.

• Record actual occupied hours and HVAC schedules rather than assuming the office closes when employees leave.
• Distinguish tenant-suite meters from common-area systems and identify who controls the supply agreement.
• Confirm the exact service address, current bill and legal account holder before using a San Francisco comparison; city boundaries and utility boundaries need not coincide.