LOS ANGELES, June 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today joined smart thermostat provider Nest to announce the preliminary results of last winter's Seasonal Savings program. Initial results from the energy efficiency pilot program indicate that Nest smart thermostat owners who participated in the program saved an average of 8 percent more on their home heating use this past winter than the average Nest customer without that program. The 8 percent savings, which collectively adds up to about as much natural gas as it would take to dry 2 million loads of laundry, comes on top of the 10-12 percent average savings on home heating and cooling already attributable to Nest thermostats in the United States.
From January to March 2017, more than 50,000 Nest thermostats participated in the program, which slowly fine-tuned temperatures in a customer's home heating schedule to help them save energy. Automated adjustments made through Seasonal Savings were less than one degree Fahrenheit, on average. These minor changes created more energy-efficient winter heating schedules and helped lower participants' natural gas bills without sacrificing personal preferences or comfort.
"For Southern Californians, conservation is part of our daily lives. From water to electricity, we have made great strides in being responsible stewards of our natural resources," said Lisa Alexander, SoCalGas vice president for customer solutions and communications. "With the introduction of thermostats that can learn our patterns and automatically adjust to our heating and cooling needs, we can collectively save a lot of energy and keep our homes comfortable."
"SoCalGas deployed Nest's Seasonal Savings program to provide our customers with an innovative, technology-driven approach to saving energy and money," said Aaron Berndt, head of west coast energy partnerships for Nest. "Our growing partnership will continue to deliver additional savings to customers while helping to conserve supplies of natural gas in a region where more than 90 percent of residents use gas to heat their homes."
Summer Electricity Demand Response Program Provides Up to $125 in Credits
While the Seasonal Savings season has ended, SoCalGas sponsors other initiatives that assist customers conserve energy year-round. The Save Power Days Program, for example, is a Southern California Edison (SCE) demand response program that offers registered smart thermostat users in SCE's service territory a $75 credit on their bill. They receive an extra $50 credit if they are also SoCalGas customers.
To be eligible for the bill credits, participants agree to allow their device to make minor temperature settings adjustments when SCE calls a Save Power Day event, which typically occurs on warmer days when electric usage peaks due to increased air conditioning use.
Owners of Nest thermostats, as well as several other select smart thermostat manufacturers, may apply. Click here for a complete list of eligible devices, as well as additional program and enrollment information.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States, providing clean, safe, affordable and reliable natural gas service to 21.7 million customers in Central and Southern California. Its service territory spans 22,000 square miles from Fresno to the Mexican border, reaching more than 550 communities through 5.9 million meters and 101,000 miles of pipeline. More than 90 percent of Southern California single-family home residents use natural gas for home heat and hot water. In addition, natural gas plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians—about 60 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.
SoCalGas has served communities in California for 150 years and is committed to being a leader in the region's clean energy future. The company has committed to spending $6 billion over the next five years to modernize and upgrade its gas infrastructure, while also reducing methane emissions. SoCalGas is working to accelerate the use of renewable natural gas, a carbon-neutral or carbon-negative fuel created by capturing and conditioning greenhouse gas emissions from farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. The company is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.
About Nest
Nest's mission is to create a home that's thoughtful - one that takes care of itself and the people inside it. The company focuses on simple, beautiful and delightful hardware, software and services. The Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Energy Services keep you comfortable and address home energy consumption. The Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm helps keep you safe and Nest Safety Rewards lets you save money through participating home insurance providers, while Nest Cam keeps an eye on what matters most in your home.
Nest products are sold in the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands and are installed in more than 190 countries. The Nest Learning Thermostat has helped save approximately four billion kWh of energy to date. Through the Works with Nest program, third-party products can securely connect with Nest devices to make homes safer, more energy efficient, and more aware. For more information, visit www.nest.com.
SOURCE Southern California Gas Co.