SoCalGas Provides Resources to Help Customers Save Money Ahead of Winter
Nov 14, 2022
SoCalGas partners with Google Nest, Southeast Community Development Corporation, Alma Family Services, and All Peoples Community Center to prepare customers for rising costs, also donating 500 energy efficient smart thermostats
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of cooler winter temperatures, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) is preparing customers with energy-saving tips, customer assistance programs and additional resources to help manage energy usage and utility costs.
"Having access to valuable educational resources and tools provides our community an opportunity to learn how to manage their energy usage and lower monthly costs," said City of Bell Mayor Monica Arroyo. "It's wonderful to see organizations take the lead towards a more sustainable future."
With the support of Southeast Community Development Corporation's (SCDC) Mobile Technology Center, SoCalGas helped seniors sign up for SoCalGas' Ways to Save Tool. The partnership focused on ensuring customers are better equipped to effectively manage their energy usage and harness cost-savings measures as winter approaches.
The Ways to Save Tool provides customers with:
- Personalized recommendations with individual customers' unique energy-saving opportunities,
- Rebate and incentive information,
- Bill comparisons to allow customers to analyze their gas usage over time, and
- Energy comparisons to determine how customers' energy use compares to that of homes in similar neighborhoods.
With the support of SCDC's Mobile Technology Center, a traveling mobile lab that features multimedia laptops and technology resources, SoCalGas staff was able to offer in-person step-by-step training for participating individuals to guide them through user-friendly online tools and resources like the Ways to Save Tool.
"SoCalGas is committed to helping customers prepare for and navigate the upcoming colder weather and the increasing cost of energy," said Don Widjaja, vice president of customer solutions. "It's important to make energy and cost savings easily accessible to everyone and our Ways to Save Tool is a free service designed to provide tips on how our customers can make minor behavioral adjustments, as well as maintain or upgrade equipment like installing a smart thermostat, that will equate to both energy and money savings."
As part of an ongoing commitment to sustainable and affordable energy, SoCalGas partnered with Google Nest to donate 500 ENERGY STAR® certified smart thermostats to families and individuals served by SCDC, Alma Family Services, and All Peoples Community Center. Smart thermostats are one of the simplest, most affordable ways to reduce energy consumption. Nest Thermostats are easy to use and have proven energy-saving features, like helping you create an energy-efficient temperature schedule.
"Our commitment towards sustainability can be seen throughout our operations and across our products and services. We are focused on implementing innovative features into our products to provide our customers with easy and accessible sustainable choices in their daily lives," said Aaron Berndt, head of energy industry partnerships at Google. "We are happy to partner with SoCalGas and local non-profit organizations to make sure individuals in need are provided with an easy and accessible choice to conserve energy."
While savings may vary depending on climate and personal preferences, among other factors, on average Google Nest thermostats can reduce an average of 10% to 12% on heating and 15% on cooling bills.
"Many individuals and families within our community struggle with enormous educational and financial barriers," said Emma Hernandez, executive director at SCDC. "I'm grateful to partner with organizations like SoCalGas and Google who have provided us with resources and materials to help overcome those barriers."
SoCalGas encourages customers to take advantage of energy-saving tips, customer assistance programs and additional resources, such as rebates and no-cost energy efficiency kits, to help manage utility costs this winter.
Tutorial Videos:
English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFkF5F8Ws5M
Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riQ7XAdICv4&t=1s
*Independent studies showed that Nest thermostats saved people an average of 10% to 12% on heating and 15% on cooling. Individual savings are not guaranteed. Learn More.
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.
In this press release, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “contemplate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” “forecast,” “envision,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “will,” “confident,” “may,” “can,” “potential,” “possible,” “proposed,” “in process,” “construct,” “develop,” “opportunity,” “preliminary,” “initiative,” "target," "outlook," “optimistic,” “poised,” “positioned,” “maintain,” “continue,” “progress,” “advance,” “goal,” “aim,” “commit,” or similar expressions, or when we discuss our guidance, priorities, strategies, goals, vision, mission, projections, intentions or expectations.
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.