More than 1.6 million homes have already taken advantage of SoCalGas’ Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) Program, receiving professional home energy efficiency improvements at no cost. Are you next? As of July 1st, more customers qualify for the Energy Savings Assistance Program thanks to new state guidelines that expand eligibility criteria.
There are two ways to qualify—either based on income or participation in certain assistance programs. For example, a family of four that earns up to $69,375 will now be eligible under the new guidelines as well as homes with at least one individual enrolled in assistance program like Medi-Cal/Medicaid, CalFresh, the National School Lunch Program, among others. The program is open to renters and homeowners, and income levels are updated annually to adjust for federal guidelines.
Weatherizing a home can help keep the cool air indoors during summer and the hot air inside during winter.
“My family and I are very happy and grateful for the weatherization repairs SoCalGas and their contractor ACSGROUP provided to our home,” said Veronica Medrano, a SoCalGas customer from Montclair. “We received a new furnace, and they installed a new water heater and we also qualified for a new washing machine. Our home is now more energy efficient. This program has changed our lives.”
“When the contractor came and weatherized my home, they fixed the weather stripping and thresholds and replaced the backdoor. My home feels more secure and now it’s much cooler because the cool air is trapped in the house. I am so glad we took advantage of this program especially now with the kind of summer we are having,” said Sandra Alvarado of Covina.
The ESA program provides attic insulation, furnace repair or replacement, clothes washer, water heater repair or replacement, water heater blankets, door weather stripping, caulking, low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators, minor repairs to doors and windows, and other services to eligible customers. Customers could save up to 20% annually on their natural gas bill depending on the energy efficiency upgrades performed.
“SoCalGas is leading the transition to a more resilient energy future by providing customers with affordable, more sustainable energy. Through the Energy Savings Assistance Program, we can offer long-term, energy-efficient home improvements to customers that will lower their costs and reduce a household’s environmental footprint. The program’s expanded guidelines will allow more SoCalGas customers to save energy and save money and help us collectively reach clean energy goals,” said Brian Prusnek, SoCalGas’ Director of Customer Programs and Assistance.
The Energy Savings Assistance Program’s revised income guidelines were the result of Senate Bill 756, authored by San Diego Senator Ben Hueso (D-40).
“The ESA program is an important tool for our state in the fight against climate change,” said Senator Hueso. “Energy efficiency upgrades reduce energy utility bills, increase a family’s quality of life and comfort, support economic development, and move the state closer toward its climate goals. However, the ESA program budgets are routinely not fully expended—often with hundreds of millions of dollars remaining unspent each year. This new law will remedy that by expanding eligibility to include more low-income customers.”
Another SoCalGas customer assistance program is the California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) program, which will continue to provide a 20% discount on the monthly natural gas bill for customers who participate in certain public assistance programs or fall within established income guidelines. A family of four that earns up to $55,500 is now eligible for the discount.
To learn about SoCalGas’ customer assistance programs, including the CARE program, or to sign up for the Energy Savings Assistance Program, visit socalgas.com/assistance or call (800) 331-7593. Information is available in the following languages: Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
