CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif., July 23, 2020 – Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today joined the California City community to launch a program that will bring reliable and affordable natural gas service to as many as 224 homes that currently use wood and propane. Participating homes will be upgraded with new natural gas appliances and a professionally installed natural gas service line. The upgrades will help customers save money on their energy bills and reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved of the California City program in 2018, along with ten other pilot programs to bring safe, affordable, and reliable energy to underserved communities in the San Joaquin Valley counties. For photos from today’s pilot launch in California City, click here.

“This program will provide dozens of families with more affordable, reliable energy for the long term,” said Jeff Walker, vice president of customer solutions for SoCalGas. “Even better, it will give homeowners access to a full suite of energy efficiency programs that help keep their energy costs affordable and compared to propane, natural gas will reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change.”

In addition to natural gas equipment upgrades, the new SoCalGas customers will now be eligible for a variety of SoCalGas’ energy efficiency and bill assistance programs to help them conserve energy and save money. In 2019 alone, SoCalGas’ energy efficiency programs saved customers $55.6 million and reduced emissions equal to taking 57,000 cars off California roads for one year.

“The process has been smooth and easy,” said Nicole Freehart, a California City homeowner who recently had utility service installed. “The entire SoCalGas, Staples Energy and Self-Help Enterprise teams were efficient and worked seamlessly to get the work completed. I am very happy with my gas service and new appliances.”

The new SoCalGas customers will now also be able to set up their own "My Account" to view and pay their bill online, schedule service and/or sign up for paperless billing. Income-qualified customers can also benefit from energy savings and assistance programs that can help them save money. More information about these programs is available at socalgas.com (search “Assistance”) or by calling 1-800-331-7593 (available in English and Spanish).

In addition, about half the households participating in the program may also receive solar thermal units, which further reduce the amount of energy needed to heat water. The thermal system captures the warmth of the sun and uses it to reliably heat water, working in tandem with an existing natural gas water heater. Interested homeowners can apply by visiting www.socalgas.com/californiacity.

Natural gas is the most affordable and reliable way for homeowners to heat their homes, heat hot water, and cook their food. Today, more than 90 percent of homes in Southern California rely on natural gas for space and water heating or cooking. In surveys, Southern Californians regularly report they prefer natural gas for cooking, and home and water heating by a margin of 4 to 1, citing its affordability.

For more information visit, www.socalgas.com

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' vision is to be the cleanest gas utility in North America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In support of that vision, 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 2014 through 2018, the company invested nearly $6.5 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.