Months of triple-digit electric bills have left some Victor Valley residents making difficult choices about how to stretch their budgets. Tired of their utility bills being a source of anxiety, many are now looking to Southern California Edison's Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) program for help catching up on overdue payments.

AMP is a debt-forgiveness program for eligible customers with past-due electricity bills, allowing up to $8,000 in debt to be forgiven after 12 on-time monthly payments.

Edison's residential electricity rates increased roughly 83% between 2015 and 2025, according to the California Public Utilities Commission's Public Advocates Office. Nearly 1 in 5 California households served by the major investor-owned utilities were behind on their energy bills in 2025, including Apple Valley resident Evelyn Stanislau.

Lightning strikes over near the world's largest outdoor thermometer, which measures 41 meters (134 ft), in the desert area of Baker, California, July 19, 2006. Picture taken July 19, 2006. Reuters/Gene Blevins (UNITED STATES) (Gene Blevins, REUTERS)
Lightning strikes over near the world's largest outdoor thermometer, which measures 41 meters (134 ft), in the desert area of Baker, California, July 19, 2006. Picture taken July 19, 2006. Reuters/Gene Blevins (UNITED STATES) (Gene Blevins, REUTERS)
387599 01: Despite news reports that the world's tallest thermometer had curtailed its lights in response to the state's energy crisis, the 135-foot-tall thermometer which draws 2,070 amperes to light its 4,943 lamps stays lit throughout the night, April 6, 2001 in Baker, CA. The thermometer was constructed in 1991 to commemorate the highest temperature recorded in North America, 134 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley in 1913, and to draw the attention of motorists traveling on Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Los Angeles or turning north on State Highway 127 to Death Valley, to the tiny town of Baker. (Photo by David McNew/Newsmakers) (David McNew, Getty Images)
387599 01: Despite news reports that the world's tallest thermometer had curtailed its lights in response to the state's energy crisis, the 135-foot-tall thermometer which draws 2,070 amperes to light its 4,943 lamps stays lit throughout the night, April 6, 2001 in Baker, CA. The thermometer was constructed in 1991 to commemorate the highest temperature recorded in North America, 134 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley in 1913, and to draw the attention of motorists traveling on Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Los Angeles or turning north on State Highway 127 to Death Valley, to the tiny town of Baker. (Photo by David McNew/Newsmakers) (David McNew, Getty Images)
374032 03: The world''s tallest thermometer stands behind a road sign, July 24, 2000 at the "Gateway to Death Valley" in Baker, CA. Standing 134 feet tall, the thermometer was built in 1991 to commemorate the record high temperature of 134 degrees recorded in Death Valley in 1913. During a recent July heatwave, the temperature averaged 118 degrees during the day and barely fell below 100 at night. "Lordy, it was so hot we almost ran clean out of water and sunscreen," said a cashier at the Baker Country Store. "Folks were taking that fancy Perrier water at three dollars a bottle and pouring on their heads just to stay cool." (Photo by Jason Kirk/Online USA) (Jason Kirk, Getty Images)
374032 03: The world''s tallest thermometer stands behind a road sign, July 24, 2000 at the "Gateway to Death Valley" in Baker, CA. Standing 134 feet tall, the thermometer was built in 1991 to commemorate the record high temperature of 134 degrees recorded in Death Valley in 1913. During a recent July heatwave, the temperature averaged 118 degrees during the day and barely fell below 100 at night. "Lordy, it was so hot we almost ran clean out of water and sunscreen," said a cashier at the Baker Country Store. "Folks were taking that fancy Perrier water at three dollars a bottle and pouring on their heads just to stay cool." (Photo by Jason Kirk/Online USA) (Jason Kirk, Getty Images)
387599 02: Despite news reports that the world's tallest thermometer had curtailed its lights in response to the state's energy crisis, the 135-foot-tall thermometer which draws 2,070 amperes to light its 4,943 lamps stays lit throughout the night, April 6, 2001 in Baker, CA. The thermometer was constructed in 1991 to commemorate the highest temperature recorded in North America, 134 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley in 1913, and to draw the attention of motorists traveling on Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Los Angeles or turning north on State Highway 127 to Death Valley, to the tiny town of Baker. (Photo by David McNew/Newsmakers) (David McNew, Getty Images)
387599 02: Despite news reports that the world's tallest thermometer had curtailed its lights in response to the state's energy crisis, the 135-foot-tall thermometer which draws 2,070 amperes to light its 4,943 lamps stays lit throughout the night, April 6, 2001 in Baker, CA. The thermometer was constructed in 1991 to commemorate the highest temperature recorded in North America, 134 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley in 1913, and to draw the attention of motorists traveling on Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Los Angeles or turning north on State Highway 127 to Death Valley, to the tiny town of Baker. (Photo by David McNew/Newsmakers) (David McNew, Getty Images)
Apple Valley, UNITED STATES: The world's tallest thermometer reads 117 degress Fahrenheit 06 July 2007 in Baker, CA, some 100 miles south of Las Vegas, NV. At 134 feet, the "World's Tallest Thermometer" is easily visible from Interstate 15 in Baker, California. An appropriate landmark for the town that calls itself "The Gateway to Death Valley," the thermometer regularly records temperatures well in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. A ferocious heatwave that has gripped the western United States is expected continue 06 July 2007, with sizzling record temperatures forecast across the sun-baked region. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBYN BECK, AFP via Getty Images)
Apple Valley, UNITED STATES: The world's tallest thermometer reads 117 degress Fahrenheit 06 July 2007 in Baker, CA, some 100 miles south of Las Vegas, NV. At 134 feet, the "World's Tallest Thermometer" is easily visible from Interstate 15 in Baker, California. An appropriate landmark for the town that calls itself "The Gateway to Death Valley," the thermometer regularly records temperatures well in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. A ferocious heatwave that has gripped the western United States is expected continue 06 July 2007, with sizzling record temperatures forecast across the sun-baked region. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBYN BECK, AFP via Getty Images)
BAKER, CA - JANUARY 07: The world's tallest thermometer is displayed on January 7, 2013 in Baker, California. The 134-foot thermometer billed as the world's tallest thermometer has been put up for sale with an asking price of $1.75 million. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images)
BAKER, CA - JANUARY 07: The world's tallest thermometer is displayed on January 7, 2013 in Baker, California. The 134-foot thermometer billed as the world's tallest thermometer has been put up for sale with an asking price of $1.75 million. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images)
Motorists make their way into the town of Baker, California, with claims to home to the world's tallest thermometer on May 10, 2015. The 134-foot-tall structure off Highway 15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas was built in 1991 to honor the highest temperature ever recorded, which was 134 degrees in Death Valley National Park, north of Baker. AFP PHOTO / FREDERIC J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) (FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP via Getty Images)
Motorists make their way into the town of Baker, California, with claims to home to the world's tallest thermometer on May 10, 2015. The 134-foot-tall structure off Highway 15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas was built in 1991 to honor the highest temperature ever recorded, which was 134 degrees in Death Valley National Park, north of Baker. AFP PHOTO / FREDERIC J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) (FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP via Getty Images)
BAKER, CA - JANUARY 10: A general view of the world's tallest thermometer on January 10, 2013 in Baker, California. Erected in 1991 by a local businessman and measuring 134-feet in height to commemorate the United States' record temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit, the thermometer has been billed as the world's tallest. The current owner has now placed the landmark up for sale due to the burden of its running costs, setting an asking price of $1.75 million. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images)
BAKER, CA - JANUARY 10: A general view of the world's tallest thermometer on January 10, 2013 in Baker, California. Erected in 1991 by a local businessman and measuring 134-feet in height to commemorate the United States' record temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit, the thermometer has been billed as the world's tallest. The current owner has now placed the landmark up for sale due to the burden of its running costs, setting an asking price of $1.75 million. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images)
Triple digit temperatures after 10 pm are seen on what is billed as the World's Tallest Thermometer in the Mojave Desert town of Baker, California where temperatures hit 118 degrees as California is gripped in another heatwave. - Millions of people across the western United States and Canada were hit July 11, 2021, by a new round of scorching hot temperatures, with some roads closed, train traffic limited and new evacuations ordered. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) (FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP via Getty Images)
Triple digit temperatures after 10 pm are seen on what is billed as the World's Tallest Thermometer in the Mojave Desert town of Baker, California where temperatures hit 118 degrees as California is gripped in another heatwave. - Millions of people across the western United States and Canada were hit July 11, 2021, by a new round of scorching hot temperatures, with some roads closed, train traffic limited and new evacuations ordered. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) (FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP via Getty Images)
"The World's Tallest Thermometer" in Baker, California, reads above 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51 degrees Celsius) during a heatwave in Baker, in California on July 7, 2024. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBYN BECK, AFP via Getty Images)
"The World's Tallest Thermometer" in Baker, California, reads above 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51 degrees Celsius) during a heatwave in Baker, in California on July 7, 2024. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBYN BECK, AFP via Getty Images)
Triple digit temperatures are seen on what is billed as the World's Tallest Thermometer in the Mojave Desert town of Baker, California where temperatures hit 118 degrees as California is gripped in another heatwave. - Millions of people across the western United States and Canada were hit July 11, 2021, by a new round of scorching hot temperatures, with some roads closed, train traffic limited and new evacuations ordered. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) (FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP via Getty Images)
Triple digit temperatures are seen on what is billed as the World's Tallest Thermometer in the Mojave Desert town of Baker, California where temperatures hit 118 degrees as California is gripped in another heatwave. - Millions of people across the western United States and Canada were hit July 11, 2021, by a new round of scorching hot temperatures, with some roads closed, train traffic limited and new evacuations ordered. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) (FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP via Getty Images)
"The World's Tallest Thermometer" in Baker, California, reads above 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51 degrees Celsius) during a heatwave in Baker, in California on July 7, 2024. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBYN BECK, AFP via Getty Images)
"The World's Tallest Thermometer" in Baker, California, reads above 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51 degrees Celsius) during a heatwave in Baker, in California on July 7, 2024. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBYN BECK, AFP via Getty Images)
An AmeriGas propane truck drives past The World's Tallest Thermometer displaying a temperature above 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) ahead of an expected heat wave south of Death Valley in Baker, California on August 30, 2022. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) (PATRICK T. FALLON, AFP via Getty Images)
An AmeriGas propane truck drives past The World's Tallest Thermometer displaying a temperature above 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) ahead of an expected heat wave south of Death Valley in Baker, California on August 30, 2022. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) (PATRICK T. FALLON, AFP via Getty Images)
The World’s Tallest Thermometer shows the temperature, in Baker, California, U.S. August 15, 2020. Picture taken August 15, 2020. REUTERS/Dan Whitcomb REFILE - CORRECTING DATE (DAN WHITCOMB, REUTERS)
The World’s Tallest Thermometer shows the temperature, in Baker, California, U.S. August 15, 2020. Picture taken August 15, 2020. REUTERS/Dan Whitcomb REFILE - CORRECTING DATE (DAN WHITCOMB, REUTERS)

Stanislau says her family signed up for the financial assistance of the AMP program after they got "very behind" on their bills last summer and are happy with their experience thus far.

Victorville resident Brett Crystal also registered for the program last summer when his electricity bill rose to over $300 a month. AMP was started in 2021, and by 2024, 10,000 Southern California households were enrolled for debt forgiveness.

The AMP program represents one of the few options available to address growing utility debt for High Desert residents. The benefits from the state-funded program have drawn increased interest as families contend with high energy bills during the region's extreme summer heat.

Residential customers must be enrolled in California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) and have a past-due balance of $500 or more, some of which hasn't been paid for over 90 days.

They must also have been an SCE customer for at least six months and have made at least one on-time payment in the past 24 months.

Customers who enroll in the AMP program are not eligible for installment plans. Participants will be dropped from the program should they miss two consecutive payments or three non-consecutive payments.

Apply online at www.sce.com/save-money.

McKenna Mobley is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Instagram @mckenna_dailypress.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: As electric bills climb, Victor Valley residents turn to Edison debt-relief program