LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced that last year, the company's energy efficiency programs helped conserve more energy than any other natural gas utility in the U.S. The utility invests more in energy efficiency than any other natural gas local distribution company in the country and currently operates the largest natural gas energy efficiency program. In 2020, SoCalGas' energy efficiency programs saved enough energy to power 100,000 homes in southern California for one year. By using less energy, SoCalGas customers saved more than $44 million in energy costs last year alone and reduced greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change by more than 211,000 metric tons – equal to removing 45,000 cars from the road.
"Energy efficiency must be the foundation as we build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy company in America. The track record for energy efficiency is undisputed: it reduces greenhouse gas emissions while saving our customers money on their bills," said Gillian Wright, senior vice president and chief customer officer at SoCalGas. "As customers think about their natural gas use, they should look to SoCalGas and our energy efficiency rebate and cost-savings programs to help them achieve their own sustainability goals."
SoCalGas' energy efficiency programs have offered consistent energy savings and have been an industry leader for more than a decade. Approximately 1.5 million households and businesses enrolled in the utility's energy efficiency programs in 2020. One of the most effective SoCalGas energy efficiency programs is the home energy report. Residential customers enrolled in this program receive a personalized report that helps them better understand their natural gas usage and how to use energy wisely to help lower bills. SoCalGas also offers energy efficiency rebates to residential and business customers on hundreds of appliances and products that help conserve energy and reduce costs. To learn more about these measures, click here.
An energy efficient natural gas appliance, over its lifetime, will save customers thousands of dollars in natural gas costs. A tankless water heater can save about $1,500, an efficient traditional water heater about $200. An energy efficient furnace will use about $550 less in natural gas over its lifetime and a smart thermostat, which can learn a customer's schedule and temperature preferences to adjust the temperature in the home accordingly, can save $125 over its lifetime.
In the last five years, SoCalGas' energy efficiency programs have generated over $1 billion in avoided energy costs and delivered more than 219 million therms in energy savings, enough natural gas usage for 548,000 households a year. These energy savings reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1.15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent of removing more than 250,000 cars annually. Overall, these measures have helped SoCalGas customers save over $241 million on their natural gas bill costs over the past five years.
In addition to its energy efficiency programs, SoCalGas' Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) program provides eligible customers with home improvements, at no cost to the renter or homeowner, that help conserve energy, reduce natural gas use and enhance the safety, health, and comfort of the renter or homeowner. SoCalGas provides this service to approximately 100,000 customers each year. To date, more than 1.5 million homes have received upgrades through the ESA program. To learn more, please visit socalgas.com/assistance.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million customers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians— about 45 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.
SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy company in America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In support of that mission, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2015 through 2019, the company invested nearly $7 billion to upgrade and modernize its pipeline system to enhance safety and reliability. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an 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.
SOURCE Southern California Gas Company
