New Eligibility Guidelines Open SoCalGas Energy Savings Assistance Program to More Customers

Jul 6, 2022

Recently enacted California law increases customer access to no-cost energy-saving home improvements which support SoCalGas' efforts to lead the transition to a clean energy system

LOS ANGELES, July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) announced that as of July 1, 2022, more customers will now be eligible for no-cost energy-saving home improvements through the Energy Savings Assistance Program. The new guidelines expand eligibility criteria for customers whose income is up to 250% of federal poverty guidelines, compared to the previous criteria of up to 200%. A family of four that earns up to $69,375, will now be eligible for no-cost energy efficiency upgrades. The previous income eligibility guidelines were up to $55,500 for a family of four.

The ESA program provides attic insulation, furnace repair or replacement, clothes washer, water heater repair or replacement, water heater blankets, door weather stripping, caulking, low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators, minor repairs to doors and windows, and other services to eligible customers.

Customers could save up to 20% annually on their natural gas bill depending on the energy efficiency upgrades performed. More than 1.6 million homes have been enrolled in the program since 2002.

Customers can qualify for the Energy Savings Assistance Program based on having one individual in the home who falls under the income guidelines or participates in a public assistance program like Medi-Cal/Medicaid, CalFresh, the National School Lunch Program, among others. The program is open to renters and homeowners, and income levels are updated annually to adjust for federal poverty guidelines.

"SoCalGas is leading the transition to a more resilient energy future by providing customers with affordable, more sustainable energy. Through the Energy Savings Assistance Program, we can offer long-term, energy-efficient home improvements to customers that will lower their costs and reduce a household's environmental footprint. The program's expanded guidelines will allow more SoCalGas customers to save energy and save money and help us collectively reach clean energy goals," said Brian Prusnek, SoCalGas' Director of Customer Programs and Assistance.

The Energy Savings Assistance Program's revised income guidelines were the result of Senate Bill 756, authored by San Diego Senator Ben Hueso (D-40). "The ESA program is an important tool for our state in the fight against climate change," said Senator Hueso. "Energy efficiency upgrades reduce energy utility bills, increase a family's quality of life and comfort, support economic development, and move the state closer toward its climate goals. However, the ESA program budgets are routinely not fully expended - often with hundreds of millions of dollars remaining unspent each year. This new law will remedy that by expanding eligibility to include more low-income customers.""My family and I are very happy and grateful for the weatherization repairs SoCalGas and their contractor ACSGROUP provided to our home," said Veronica Medrano, a SoCalGas customer from Montclair. "We received a new furnace, and they installed a new water heater and we also qualified for a new washing machine. Our home is now more energy efficient. This program has changed our lives."

Another SoCalGas customer assistance program is the California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) program, which will continue to provide a 20% discount on the monthly natural gas bill for customers who participate in certain public assistance programs or fall within 200% of federal poverty guidelines. A family of four that earns up to $55,500 is now eligible for the discount.

To learn about SoCalGas' customer assistance programs, including the CARE program, or to sign up for the Energy Savings Assistance Program, visit socalgas.com/assistance or call (800) 331-7593. Information is available in the following languages: Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

 

About SoCalGas
SoCalGas is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States, serving more than 21 million consumers across approximately 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Our mission is: Safe, Reliable, and Affordable energy delivery today. Ready for tomorrow. SoCalGas is a recognized leader in the energy industry and has been named Corporate Member of the Year by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce for its volunteer leadership in the communities it serves. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), a leading North American energy infrastructure company. For more information, visit SoCalGas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on social media @SoCalGas.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about the future, involve risks and uncertainties, and are not guarantees. Future results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this press release We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Factors, among others, that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement include: decisions, denials of cost recovery, audits, investigations, inquiries, ordered studies, regulations, denials or revocations of permits, consents, approvals or other authorizations, renewals of franchises, and other actions, including the failure to honor contracts and commitments, by the (i) California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Internal Revenue Service and other regulatory bodies and (ii) U.S. and states, counties, cities and other jurisdictions therein where we do business; the success of business development efforts and construction projects, including risks related to (i) completing construction projects or other transactions on schedule and budget, (ii) realizing anticipated benefits from any of these efforts if completed, (iii) obtaining third-party consents and approvals and (iv) third parties honoring their contracts and commitments; changes to our capital expenditure plans and their potential impact on rate base or other growth; litigation, arbitration and other proceedings, and changes (i) to laws and regulations, including those related to tax, (ii) due to the results of elections, and (iii) in trade and other foreign policy, including the imposition of tariffs by the U.S. and foreign countries; cybersecurity threats, including by state and state-sponsored actors, of ransomware or other attacks on our systems or the systems of third parties with which we conduct business, including the energy grid or other energy infrastructure; the availability, uses, sufficiency, and cost of capital resources and our ability to borrow money or otherwise raise capital on favorable terms and meet our obligations, which can be affected by, among other things, (i) actions by credit rating agencies to downgrade our credit ratings or place those ratings on negative outlook, (ii) instability in the capital markets, and (iii) fluctuating interest rates and inflation; the impact on affordability of our customer rates and our cost of capital and on our ability to pass through higher costs to customers due to (i) volatility in inflation, interest rates and commodity prices and (ii) the cost of meeting the demand for lower carbon and reliable energy in California; the impact of climate policies, laws, rules, regulations, trends and required disclosures, including actions to reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas, increased uncertainty in the political or regulatory environment for California natural gas distribution companies, the risk of nonrecovery for stranded assets, and uncertainty related to emerging technologies; weather, natural disasters, pandemics, accidents, equipment failures, explosions, terrorism, information system outages or other events, such as work stoppages, that disrupt our operations, damage our facilities or systems, cause the release of harmful materials or fires or subject us to liability for damages, fines and penalties, some of which may not be recoverable through regulatory mechanisms or insurance or may impact our ability to obtain satisfactory levels of affordable insurance; the availability of natural gas and natural gas storage capacity, including disruptions caused by failures in the pipeline and storage systems or limitations on the injection and withdrawal of natural gas from storage facilities; and other uncertainties, some of which are difficult to predict and beyond our control.

These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that the company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on Sempra’s website, www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements.

Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) and Infraestructura Energética Nova, S.A.P.I. de C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies as the California utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company or Southern California Gas Company, and Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the CPUC.