Incentive funding used to upgrade central hot water system, saving over 4,000 therms of energy annually

LOS ANGELES , June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. ( SoCalGas) today announced the completion of energy efficiency upgrades in partnership with the Retirement Housing Foundation ( RHF) at The Concord affordable senior living community in Pasadena , Calif. The project was made possible through SoCalGas' Whole Building Program. The program provided $108,000 in incentive funding that was used to help replace an aged, undersized central hot water system that serves 150 units within the 14-story affordable senior living complex. All units within The Concord also received water and energy saving measures such as low-flow showerheads and low-flow kitchen and bath aerators at no cost as part of the utility's Energy Savings Assistance ( ESA) program. This upgrade will help the property accumulate $35,000 in savings over a five year span and save over 4,000 therms of energy annually, equivalent to powering 11 homes for one year.

"It's great to see SoCalGas place so much effort, time and funds into our community. These energy efficiency upgrades are crucial to our senior residents living at the Concord and will help improve their lifestyle by offering energy stability," said Steve Madison , Pasadena City Councilmember, District 6. "We hope to continue partnering with SoCalGas in the future to help improve our communities."

"These energy efficiency upgrades at The Concord will help residents save money and lower energy usage without altering their lifestyles. Our actions demonstrate our commitment towards helping low-income customers conserve energy while improving their living experience," said Gillian Wright , senior vice president and chief customer officer at SoCalGas. "Our energy efficiency initiatives at SoCalGas plays a critical role in helping our customers save on bills and reduce their energy usage. Energy efficiency initiatives not only help us fulfill our ASPIRE 2045 sustainability goals, it also takes us one step closer to fulfilling California's climate goals."

The completed project includes the replacement and installation of two high efficiency boilers, three water storage tanks, a remote thermostat control, a water heater expansion tank and a recirculation pump which will aid the property in saving approximately 45,000 therms of energy over a span of 10 years. This is equivalent to powering 30 homes in Southern California for a year.

"I can tell you that The Concord project happened because of what the SoCalGas team did with getting us enrolled early in site-wide energy conservation programs," said Stuart Hartman , president and CEO at the Retirement Housing Foundation. "They were a true partner every step of the way. The energy audit that SoCalGas commissioned has revealed the full potential for gas, electric and water savings as well as greenhouse gas reductions. Our site-wide systems reliability and overall efficiencies will improve immensely."

The Whole Building Program provides an assessment of a property's energy performance, upcoming projects, and operation and maintenance along with potential upgrade opportunities. The utility will schedule a free in-depth evaluation of the building's energy system to help identify energy-efficient upgrades and determine potential utility incentives available. Once analyzed, SoCalGas will work with the property owner on reserving incentive funds from the program and select a licensed contractor to perform the installations. To learn more about the program, visit socalgas.com/WBP.

In the last five years, SoCalGas' energy efficiency programs have generated over $1 billion in avoided energy costs and delivered more than 219 million therms in energy savings, enough natural gas usage for 548,000 households a year. These energy savings reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of removing more than 250,000 cars annually. Overall, these measures have helped SoCalGas customers save over $241 million on their natural gas bill costs over the past five years.

SoCalGas also offers various customer assistance programs and incentives to help customers become energy efficient and save money on their natural gas bills every month.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines will continue to play a key role in California's clean energy transition—providing electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment.

SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy company in America. In support of that mission, SoCalGas aspires to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045 and to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills, and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego.

For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.

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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company

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