Socalgas Energy Efficiency Programs Saved Customers $55.6 Million in 2019 & Reduced Emissions Equal to Taking 57,000 Cars Off California Roads

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced its customers saved $55.6 million in 2019 on their annual gas bills through SoCalGas' energy efficiency programs. The energy savings is equivalent to removing over 265,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and taking more than 57,000 cars off of California roads for one year.

"SoCalGas is committed to providing affordable, clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and one way we do that is by encouraging our customers to take advantage of our energy efficiency programs," said Darren Hanway, manager of energy programs and strategy at SoCalGas. "By giving our customers the tools they need to obtain high efficiency gas appliances and make their existing gas appliances more efficient, customers can both lower their bills and curb carbon emissions."

SoCalGas energy efficiency programs include offering rebates on hundreds of home appliances and products that help conserve energy and reduce costs. Customers can apply for rebates quickly and easily from a mobile device.

An energy efficient appliance, over its lifetime, will save customers thousands of dollars in energy bills. A tankless water heater can save about $1,500, an efficient traditional water heater about $200. An energy efficient furnace will use about $550 less in natural gas over its lifetime and a smart thermostat, which can learn a customer's schedule and temperature preferences to adjust the temperature in the home accordingly, can save $125 over its lifetime.

Customers can use the SoCalGas Marketplace website to find and compare energy efficient products. The site points users to rebates of $600 on select water heaters and furnaces, up to $500 on select fireplaces and $50 on select smart thermostats and Energy Star natural gas dryers.

SoCalGas continues to be a leader in researching and developing new technologies that improve energy efficiency and protect the environment. Between 2015 and 2019, SoCalGas energy efficiency programs delivered more than 204 million therms in energy savings, enough natural gas usage for 125,000 households a year, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by over 1,000,000 metric tons, the equivalent of removing more than 230,000 cars from the road annually. These advances have also helped save SoCalGas customers nearly $225 million in utility bill costs.

In an effort to not only maintain affordable utility bills for customers but to also reduce environmental impact, the company is focused on its vision for a 21st century energy system. This system will provide clean, affordable, resilient and integrated energy by replacing 20 percent of SoCalGas' traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. The system is part of SoCalGas' vision to be the cleanest gas utility in North America.  

Renewable natural gas is a clean fuel produced from our waste streams (i.e., sewers and food waste, as well as dairy and agriculture waste) and can be used like traditional natural gas to heat homes and businesses, for cooking, and to fuel trucks and buses. RNG reduces GHG emissions because it takes more GHG emissions out of the air than it emits as an energy source. Research shows that replacing about 20 percent of California's traditional natural gas supply with RNG could lower emissions equal to retrofitting every building in the state to run on electric only energy and at a fraction of the cost.