LOS ANGELES, Dec. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to cold temperatures forecast for parts of the SoCalGas service territory, Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced that the Dial It Down Alert issued on Dec. 28 will remain in effect through at least Wednesday Jan. 2, 2019. Southern Californians are urged to reduce their natural gas use, particularly in the evenings when natural gas use is typically highest. During periods of cold weather, local demand for natural gas for home heating, hot water, and cooking can increase rapidly and put a strain on the natural gas system.

Dial It Down Alerts are like Flex Alerts issued by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) that call on customers to voluntarily conserve electricity.

Conservation Tips

To reduce natural gas use during the Dial It Down Alert period, SoCalGas customers are encouraged to take simple steps, like setting their thermostat to 68 degrees when they are home and 55 degrees when they are not home. Other ways to reduce natural gas use include:

• Washing clothes with cold water;
• Taking shorter hot showers;
• Reducing the temperature on water heaters;
• Running only full loads of dishes and clothes;
• Using low-flow shower heads;
• Keeping windows and doors closed when the heater is on; and
• Dressing warmer.

More information on SoCalGas' Dial It Down Alert energy conservation program can be found at socalgas.com/dialitdown.

About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas^® is the largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable natural 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. Natural gas delivered through the company's pipelines also 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 is committed to investing in its natural gas system infrastructure, while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2013 through 2017, the company spent nearly $6 billion to upgrade and modernize its natural gas system to enhance safety and reliability. The company is also committed to being a leader in the region's clean energy future, and is working to accelerate the use of renewable natural gas from dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants and the development of renewable energy storage technologies. 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