LOS ANGELES, CA--July 29, 2010 — Customers of Southern California Edison (SCE) and Southern California Gas Co. (The Gas Company) have new options and can earn more money in energy rebates following the California Energy Commission’s decision Wednesday to offer additional incentives for purchasing energy-efficient appliances and recycling old energy-guzzling models.

        The expanded program, now called California Cash for Appliances PLUS, now includes energy-efficient dishwashers, freezers, water heaters and heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems to existing rebates on refrigerators, clothes washers and room air conditioners.  Combining the California Cash for Appliances rebates with the rebates available from The Gas Company and SCE can help a customer earn a maximum of $3,995.

        “We want to encourage customers to take advantage of the roughly $20 million in remaining state program funds, as well as rebates offered by the utilities, and upgrade to energy-efficient appliances,” said Mark Gaines, director of customer programs for The Gas Company. “By doing so, customers are doing their part to help conserve precious natural resources all year round and put a little ‘green’ back in their pocket every month.”

        Said Gene Rodrigues, SCE’s director of Customer Energy Efficiency and Solar: “There are two cost components to any appliance: the cost to buy it and the energy cost to run it. We hope that these excellent new incentives will help our customers make even smarter purchasing decisions so that they’ll be able to shrink their electricity bills and reduce their carbon footprint as well.”

        Although SCE’s and The Gas Company’s rebate programs will be available year-round, the Cash for Appliances PLUS rebates will only be available on a first-come, first-served basis for qualified purchases until funds are exhausted.  Utility customers can begin taking advantage of the new incentives today.

        Residential customers can receive one rebate for each type of appliance: $200 to $1,000 for heating and ventilation systems; $100 to $750 for water heaters; $200 for a new refrigerator; $100 for a new dishwasher; $100 for a new clothes washer; and $50 for a freezer or room air conditioner. These rebates can be combined with the rebates offered by the utilities.

        For more information, call (888) 390-4034 or visit the California Cash for Appliances website, www.cash4appliances.org, to read about the program’s rules, find out which appliance models qualify for rebates, and get details on recycling old appliances. Rebate forms are available on the program’s website. Rebate information for SCE’s programs is at www.sce.com/rebatesandsavings.  Information for The Gas Company energy-efficiency rebates is at www.socalgas.com/rebates.
 

       
        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 more than 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

        About Southern California Gas Co.
        Southern California Gas Co. 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, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company. To learn more, go to www.socalgas.com.


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