LOS ANGELES – With colder temperatures expected in Southern California this week, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) is offering customers tools and assistance programs to track their gas usage and control heating expenses.

“SoCalGas empowers customers to improve energy efficiency and manage their natural gas bills with a range of resources and tools designed to track usage and provide insight into energy costs, which customers can easily access through their SoCalGas portal. Providing every customer access to affordable and reliable natural gas services is central to our mission,” said Gillian Wright, senior vice president and chief customer officer at SoCalGas.

To help customers find ways to save energy based on their actual home and past usage, SoCalGas developed a “Ways to Save” tool. This free resource is accessible through the My Account customer portal at SoCalGas.com. Customers can create a personalized savings plan with a household energy analysis, customized energy-efficiency recommendations, bill comparisons, and energy usage comparisons. While savings can vary depending on individual usage, customers can generally expect to save around 10% to 15% on their heating and cooling costs by following the tool's tip.

Other tools help residents avoid surprises on their gas bills as many factors can affect what households pay, especially during the high demand winter season:

• Bill Tracker Alerts send weekly e-mails and/or text messages with your bill-to-date, projected next bill, last year’s bill amount for the same month, and days left in your current bill cycle.
• Natural Gas Price Notice text alerts update customers when a 20% or more increase in the natural gas commodity cost is expected during the high-demand winter months.
• Level Pay Plan is a program that customers can sign up for if their usage results in a high bill. The plan averages customers’ natural gas bills across a 12-month period. Each month, the customer pays an average bill instead of actual charges. This is not a discount program, but it helps customers avoid big payments when they use the most gas in the winter.
• Understanding My Bill is a web page on the SoCalGas website that can answer customer questions about their bill and where customers can find information about how monthly bills are calculated.
• Gas Appliance Rebates: SoCalGas offers rebates on energy-efficient and ENERGY STAR® certified appliances. Customers can explore eligible appliances, purchase them, and apply for rebates.

Programs for Eligible Customers

SoCalGas offers several assistance programs to help qualifying customers. Customers with low or fixed incomes, or those with certain medical conditions, can benefit from these services and enjoy peace of mind during the colder months.

The assistance programs include:

• California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE): A 20% monthly discount is available for eligible, income-qualified customers through the CARE program. You may be eligible if you meet certain household income requirements, or if your household receives benefits from public assistance programs like Medi-Cal/Medicaid, CalFresh (Food Stamps), Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, etc.
• Past Due Bill Forgiveness: Customers may also qualify for past due bill forgiveness through the Arrearage Management Plan. To qualify for this program, you must be a residential customer enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE), have an active service account with SoCalGas for a six-month period before enrolling in the plan, and have a balance of $250 or greater in eligible past due natural gas bills.
• Medical Baseline Allowance Program: Receive more natural gas at the lowest rate if you or a full-time member of your household has a qualifying medical condition that requires additional space heating.
• Payment Extension: Eligible customers may extend their payment date through the end of the month.
• The Energy Savings Assistance Program (ESAP) provides no-cost energy-saving home improvements for income-qualified renters and homeowners, including low-flow showerheads, water heater blankets, attic insulation, and more.

For more information on managing your natural gas usage and accessing available programs, visit Manage Higher Bills | SoCalGas. If you have any questions about your bill, visit Understanding My Bill | SoCalGas, where you will find information about how your monthly bill is calculated or call 1-800-427-2200.