LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to cold weather and rain predicted for parts of the Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) service territory, SoCalGas has issued a "Dial It Down" Alert through Friday, January 18, urging Southern Californians to conserve natural gas. Customers are asked to conserve energy by reducing their natural gas use, specifically in the evenings when natural gas is typically at peak use. 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 similar to Flex Alerts issued by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) that call on customers to voluntarily conserve electricity for a specific period of time.

Conservation Tips

To reduce their natural gas use during the alert period, SoCalGas customers can take simple steps, like setting their thermostat to 68 degrees when home and 55 degrees when not home. Other helpful tips include: 

• Washing clothes with cold water;
• Taking shorter showers to use less hot water;
• 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 Co.