LOS ANGELES, May 10, 2011 –Southern California Gas Co.  (SoCalGas) announced today that more than $39 million in rebates and incentives are available this year to business customers for qualifying energy-efficiency projects – the largest pool of incentive money in the utility’s 140-year history.

SoCalGas made the announcement at the 6th Annual Energy-Efficiency Expo in Downey, Calif., where over 300 business representatives learned how they could save money and energy through the utility’s programs or the latest technologies.

Nine local businesses were recognized by SoCalGas for their outstanding efforts in energy efficiency and conservation. Because of their efforts they’ve reduced emissions and saved more than 1,107,310 therms of natural gas, the equivalent of taking 1,200 cars off the road.

“We thank these customers who’ve stepped up to conserve energy in order to improve their operations and reduce energy costs, but, most importantly, help protect the environment,” said Hal D. Snyder, vice president of customer solutions for SoCalGas. “We make every effort to help businesses plan for a sustainable future by providing services and incentives that may positively affect their bottom line -- especially during this economy.”

The California Institute for Men was one of the nine to receive an Energy-Efficiency Excellence Award at the Expo.  “Our prison facility purchased 120 steam traps, which saved us about $49,764 per year in natural gas expenses,” said Fred Moreno, chief engineer for the California Institute for Men in Chino, Calif.  “The incentives we obtained from SoCalGas went a long way to help keep our costs down.”

Another Energy-Efficiency Excellence Award went to L.A. Denim Wet Processing in Bellflower, Calif., for installing an ozone laundry retrofit system.  This system uses the chemical ozone to activate cleaning chemicals like soap, using cold water, rather than hot water.  This significantly reduces hot water demand and drying needs for textile processes, saving L.A. Denim Wet Processing thousands of dollars. “We’ve saved over 57,000 therms per year in energy since we installed our new system,” said Joseph Kim, president of L.A. Denim Wet Processing. ”Because of our energy-efficiency upgrades, SoCalGas cut us a check for $55,771 – You can’t beat that!”    
The utility’s incentives cover many types of natural gas equipment, as well as energy-saving projects. The incentive payouts are based on the amount of natural gas saved, and they often reach several thousands of dollars per project.

In addition to the announcement of Energy-Efficiency Excellence Award recipients, the Expo featured seminars by customers who have taken advantage of SoCalGas’ rebates and free onsite energy-efficiency assessments.  There were also 28 exhibitors and vendors showcasing the latest energy-saving technologies for those in attendance.

Business owners and representatives had an opportunity to learn about SoCalGas’ On-Bill Financing program, which provides qualified energy-efficiency projects with interest-free loans for up to $100,000.  They also learned how the utility can identify process improvements that can help save energy, lower operating costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  In addition to the variety of assessment tools to help business customers identify convenient energy efficiency improvements, rebates are available for more than 100 pieces of qualifying energy-efficient equipment, such as steam traps, insulation, boilers, water heaters, and a variety of foodservice equipment.

For more information, business owners and representatives can visit SoCalGas’ website at socalgas.com/energyefficiency.

SoCalGas’ energy-efficiency programs are subject to change without notice and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis as long as funding is available.  These programs are funded by California utility customers and administered by SoCalGas under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.
 
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About Southern California Gas Co. Southern California Gas Co. has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas to its customers for more than 140 years.  It is the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility, providing service to 20.9 million consumers through nearly 5.8 million meters in more than 500 communities.  The company’s service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border.  SoCalGas is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE).