Grants of Up to $200 Available to Help SoCalGas Customers in Need

$1 million in Gas Assistance Funds available today to support eligible residential customers

Feb 15, 2024

SoCalGas announced there is $1 million available in the Gas Assistance Fund to support eligible customers with grants of up to $200 to help pay their natural gas bill in 2024. Eligibility to receive a grant from the Gas Assistance Fund is based on total household income and household size. Information on how to qualify and apply can be found at socalgas.com/GAF.

“This winter, there is some good news for SoCalGas customers with natural gas prices dramatically down from last year’s historic high prices. However, with cooler winter temperatures, we know that people may use more gas to keep their homes and families warm," said Gillian Wright, SoCalGas Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. “SoCalGas is committed to supporting customers and we will continue to provide winter conservation tips, resources and programs such as the Gas Assistance Fund.”

SoCalGas provides resources to help customers manage their energy consumption, make energy-efficient improvements to their homes, and ultimately reduce their bills, including the Gas Assistance Fund, a joint effort between SoCalGas and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. Working with nonprofit organizations throughout SoCalGas’s service territory, United Way of Greater Los Angeles helps income-qualified customers pay their natural gas bill with a one-time grant of up to $100 per household. If the eligible applicant or a household member is age 55 or older, an additional $100 is available for a maximum grant of up to $200.

As a reminder to customers, SoCalGas offers a suite of programs and services that can help customers manage their natural gas usage to help save energy and money, including:

Energy Savings Tools for All Customers:

  • Natural Gas Price Notice: text alerts that update customers when a 20% or more increase in the natural gas commodity cost is expected, which may impact their bills. To date, nearly 63,000 customers have signed up for optional text alerts. (Text alerts to be sent winter season December through March).
  • Ways to Save: a free tool that helps customers find ways to save on natural gas bills, with a personalized savings plan that offers a household energy analysis, customized energy-efficiency recommendations, bill comparisons and energy usage comparisons.
  • Bill Tracker Alerts: notifications that help customers monitor gas consumption and take steps to reduce usage to avoid surprises on their bills.
  • Level Pay Plan: averages customers natural gas bill across a 12-month period. Each month, the customer pays an average bill instead of actual charges. This is not a discount program.

Customer Assistance Programs for those who qualify:

  • California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE): program that saves customers 20% on their monthly gas bills.
  • Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) Program: provides no-cost energy-saving home improvements, with the potential to save customers up to 20% annually on their natural gas bill.
  • Arrearage Management Plan (AMP): allows customers to have their eligible past due bills forgiven. Once enrolled, every time a current bill is paid in full and on time, SoCalGas will forgive 1/12 of the eligible debt. After 12 consecutive monthly natural gas bills are paid in full and on time, the entire past due amount will be forgiven (up to a maximum of $8,000 per enrollment period).
  • Medical Baseline Allowance: provides additional natural gas at the baseline rate.

To see more programs that can help customers save money and energy, visit socalgas.com/Save.

 

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 news blog 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 news blog, 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.