SAN DIEGO, Nov. 6, 2006 – Businesses throughout San Diego County are likely to see lower natural gas costs this winter as compared with last year.  Mild weather, high inventories of natural gas in storage, and no production losses due to hurricanes have helped to moderate natural gas prices nationwide.  Still, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) encourages its business customers to use energy wisely and offers these tips that may help businesses save money by increasing their energy efficiency:

           • Take advantage of available incentives and rebates for qualifying energy-efficient upgrades to the business or facility at www.sdge.com/businessrebates.

           • Take an online energy-usage survey and find out how to improve energy efficiency.  The survey can be found at www.sdge.com/business/analyzer.

           • Enroll in energy-efficiency training courses.  An online calendar of business seminars and training offered by SDG&E can be viewed at www.sdge.com/training. 

           • Have a qualified, licensed technician test, clean and adjust gas-fired equipment.

           • During the heating season, inspect air filters once a month and clean or replace air filters at least twice, or as recommended by the manufacturer.

           • Repair leaky or disconnected ducts to prevent loss of air that has been heated.

           • Caulk cracks around windows, doors and other openings.

           • Use setback programmable thermostats to automatically control temperatures setting during and after business hours, and to minimize unnecessary heating.

           • Close window coverings at night and during unoccupied periods to retain heat indoors.  Open window coverings during the day to allow the sun’s heat indoors.

           • Check all lighting timers to ensure they are turning interior and exterior lights on and off at appropriate times.

        For more details on money-saving, energy-efficiency opportunities, visit SDG&E’s Web site at www.sdge.com.

        SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.3 million electric meters and more than 825,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties.  The utility’s area spans 4,100 square miles.  Exceptional customer service is a priority of SDG&E as it seeks to enhance the region’s quality of life.  SDG&E is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE).  Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company. 

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