Mobilehome Park Utility Conversion Program

In February 2011, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) granted a petition filed by the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association (WMA) to open a rulemaking proceeding to examine what could be done to encourage owners of mobilehome parks (MHPs) to upgrade aging energy systems in an effort to enhance both public safety and service reliability for MHP residents.

On March 13, 2014, the CPUC approved Decision 14-03-021, establishing the Mobilehome Park Utility Upgrade Program. This pilot Program, along with the pilot Program extension, authorized the transfer of approximately 18% of the mobile homes in master-metered/submetered MHPs to direct utility service for natural gas and electricity.

The CPUC found the Program successful and unanimously approved to extend the Program under Decision 20-04-004 by an additional ten years, through the year 2030. .

This Program authorizes funding – and directs each investor-owned utility – to convert master-metered mobilehome parks to direct utility service for natural gas and electricity, enhancing the safety and service reliability for families residing within these mobilehome communities. 

Currently, there are approximately 300 MHPs housing nearly 35,000 mobile home spaces, in our service area that are served by an SDG&E master-meter. These 300 qualifying MHPs are eligible to participate in the Program. Interested MHP owners need to voluntarily file a CPUC Form of Intent with the CPUC Safety and Enforcement Division (SED) between Jan. 1, 2021, and March 31, 2021, for their MHP to be considered for the Program.

The ten-year Program extension will allow approximately 12,000 additional mobile home spaces to be converted, which is approximately half of all eligible mobile home spaces in SDG&E’s service area. Based on Decision 20-04-004, SED will be accepting new Forms of Intent during the first quarter of 2021. Additional information will be provided as the date gets closer. If you would like to be included on our mailing list, email MHP_Outreach@semprautilities.com. Please provide your park name and address, along with your contact name, email and phone number.

Recreational vehicle parks and recreational vehicle spaces within MHPs are not eligible for this Program.

For participating MHP owners, the benefits of converting to direct utility service for natural gas and/or electricity include:

• Safety and reliability. MHP owners will get new, professionally installed energy distribution systems that will enhance safety and service reliability for residents and the community.
• Peace of mind. MHP owners will no longer have to maintain privately-owned, submetered gas/electric distribution systems. The owner of each space – usually the MHP owner or in some cases the resident – will be responsible for maintaining gas/electric house lines from the resident’s meter to the resident’s mobile home.
• Saves time and effort. MHP owners will no longer have to read gas/electric meters, bill residents or respond to questions about utility service and programs. We’ll handle all that.
• Little or no cost. The Program covers the costs of installing utility service from the current master meter and to each qualifying mobile home space.

For participating MHP residents, the benefits of converting to direct utility service include:

• Safety and reliability. MHPs will get new, professionally installed energy distribution systems that will enhance safety and service reliability for their community.
• Enhanced customer service. MHP residents can use our online services and speak to an Energy Services Specialist if they have any questions.
• Enhanced electric service. The electric service capability is increasing to 100 amps  at the electric meter pedestal. Residents may be able to add electric appliances, such as air conditioners, that wouldn’t work with the previous electric submetered service.
• Access to cost-saving programs. MHP residents can take advantage of energy-efficiency programs and many other services we offer.
• Service deposit waived. We’ll waive our customer credit check and service deposits upon transfer to direct utility service.

This Program is voluntary and available to all eligible MHP owners and managers. The MHP owner/manager needs to apply by submitting a CPUC Form of Intent during the open enrollment period, from Jan. 1, 2021, to March 31, 2021. One intent form for each MHP location must be filed with the CPUC’s Safety and Enforcement Division (SED) with a copy to SDG&E. The CPUC SED and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) are responsible for selecting MHP pilot participants among the qualified applicants, and prioritizing applicants based on safety and reliability needs.

The CPUC SED is responsible for the prioritization process.

If you would like to be included on our mailing list, email MHP_Outreach@semprautilities.com. Please provide your park name and address, along with your contact name, email and phone number. Selection as a participant does not guarantee that your MHP will be converted.

Selection as a participant does not guarantee that your MHP will be converted.

MHPs that miss the deadline will be placed on a waiting list but aren’t guaranteed that their MHP will be converted to direct natural gas and/or electric utility service.

A new Form of Intent will be coming soon and more information will be provided at that time. .

The CPUC SED and the HCD have completed the prioritization process for the current Program scope. However, with the recent approval of the ten-year Program, SDG&E will be converting around 12,000 additional spaces.

For questions regarding your participation status, or if you are interested in being added to our mailing list, please email us at MHP_Outreach@semprautilities.com.

For questions regarding the selection process, please contact CPUC. You can visit them at https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/mhpupgrade/, call (800)755-1447 or email MHPUtilityUpgradeProgram@cpuc.ca.gov.

SDG&E will assign a dedicated Account Executive who will serve as the MHP owner’s direct point of contact and will assist with:

• Completing a detailed MHP application requiring specific information and supporting documents about each participating MHP
• Completing and signing a standard conversion Program Agreement
• Arranging resident information meeting(s) and/or distributing informational packets
• Coordinating various construction-related activities, including park assessment and construction impacts
• Responding to your general questions

For each application, the MHP owner must include:

• A list of current residents and their contact information
• Updated permit-to-operate (PTO) showing the current park registration and number of permitted mobile home spaces
• Services documents, including, but not limited to, as-builts
• Single line diagram for facilities with self-generation
• Additional infrastructure drawings that detail park substructures (e.g. water, sewer, drainage, irrigation lines, telephone, cable television, data lines, fuel lines, etc.)
• Site plan showing scaled drawings of MHP
• Tract map showing all easements, rights-of-way, property lines, MH spaces, assessor’s parcel number, etc.

The deadline to submit the detailed application with the required supporting documents is 45 calendar days after notification of acceptance in the Program. Failure to provide the required documentation within 45 days may disqualify an MHP from participating in the Program.

The timeframe varies depending on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the total number of MHPs selected for Program participation, park size and the turnaround time for an Owner/Operator to submit the required information to SDG&E. The MHP Owner/ Manager will receive their specific schedule and timeline from their assigned Account Executive when that information becomes available.

Yes. The Program is voluntary for the MHP owner/operator but, if they decide to participate in the Program and are accepted, all mobilehome spaces in the park must be converted to direct utility service. Each resident becomes a direct SDG&E customer.

SDG&E is responsible for constructing the new energy distribution lines up to the new metering equipment near every mobile home. The MHP owner is responsible for selecting a qualified, licensed contractor to install the new utility-approved metering equipment (e.g. electric meter pedestals) and perform the needed work to connect the individual mobile homes to the new metered service (e.g. gas and/or electric house lines). SDG&E can help during the contractor selection process and will review the MHP’s selection of a contractor. All “beyond the meter” construction will be subject to permitting and inspection requirements from the applicable jurisdictional authority(ies).

The MHP owner will be responsible for the installation, ownership and maintenance of the “beyond-the-meter” facilities at each mobile home space. Any facilities attached to the mobile home unit is the responsibility of the mobile homeowner. SDG&E will install and own the distribution lines up to the MHP metering equipment and each utility meter. If the mobile home is connected directly to the metering equipment, those lines will be owned by the mobile homeowner.

Responsibility for any remediation or resolution of environmental issues will remain with each MHP owner and must be addressed as required by the agency within jurisdiction. SDG&E will not cover any costs associated with required remediation.

Upon transfer to the SDG&E system, MHP residents will become direct customers of SDG&E, eligible for our many programs and services. Gas and/or electric service to the old master-metered system will be shut off and abandoned in place. Responsibility for the legacy system, including the removal of the above-ground infrastructure, will remain with the MHP owner. The master-meter discount to the MHP owner would stop.

Program costs for work done in SDG&E’s service area are funded by SDG&E customers per CPUC Decision 14-03-021 and 20-04-004. The CPUC estimates costs upwards of 0.038 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity, and 0.012 cents per therm of natural gas.