LOS ANGELES, Aug. 25, 2010 – Southern California Edison (SCE) and Southern California Gas Co. (The Gas Company) encourage customers experiencing financial hardship to apply for assistance through a new state program called Temporary Energy Assistance for Families (TEAF). The program, administered by The Salvation Army, provides eligible families the opportunity to receive a one-time emergency energy credit of up to $1,500 to pay off past-due bills and avoid utility shut-offs.

      “We are always looking for ways to help our customers, and this funding comes as an enormous relief to those who need it the most,” said Lynda Ziegler, SCE senior vice president, Customer Service.

       “We are committed to doing everything we can to immediately help families who are hurting the most during this recession,” said Hal D. Snyder, vice president of Customer Solutions for The Gas Company. “Our priority is to make sure all of our customers are aware of the many kinds of assistance available to them.”

        The bill credits will be available to qualifying California utility customers from a grant made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, with additional funds from California’s investor-owned utilities. SCE and The Gas Company each will have $10 million to help their customers in need. Applications will only be accepted through Sept. 21, so customers should apply as soon as possible.

        The grants are open to those customers of The Gas Company, SCE, San Diego Gas & Electric and Pacific Gas and Electric Company who are in arrears and are parents or guardians of a child under 18 years old. 

        To learn more or to apply for a grant, customers should contact The Salvation Army at 1 (800) 933-9677 or www.tsagoldenstate.org. 

        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 safe and reliable energy to 20.5 million consumers through 5.7 million meters in more than 500 communities. The company’s service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles in diverse terrain throughout Central and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border. Southern California Gas Co. is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy(NYSE: SRE). Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, California, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company.

        About Southern California Edison
        An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

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