Lillian Boyd, Dana Point Times
For Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) customers whose income has changed due to COVID-19, the utility company is launching a campaign to let them know they can save on their gas bill.
“SoCalGas Cares” launches this month aiming to inform customers of their eligibility to qualify for SoCalGas’s assistance program. If you have recently lost your job, even if you are receiving unemployment benefits, you may qualify for 20% off your natural gas bill with their CARE program.
“SoCalGas is committed to assisting the communities we serve during this challenging period,” said Jeff Walker, Vice President of Customer Solutions at SoCalGas. “We recognize that many families are facing unexpected hardships such as job and income loss right now, and we want to remind them that SoCalGas’ assistance programs like CARE can help.”
The CARE program aids people in paying their utility bills by providing a 20% discount on monthly natural gas bills.
Customers who have become recently unemployed or who are currently facing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic or for other reasons are encouraged to visit socalgas.com/care, complete the quick online application and find out instantly if they qualify. The CARE online application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
If you or someone you know is having difficulty paying their gas bill, the Gas Assistance Fund (GAF) may be able to provide you with a one-time grant for the amount of the gas bill, not to exceed $100. The Gas Assistance Fund is a joint effort of SoCalGas and United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
The Medical Baseline Allowance program provides additional natural gas at the lowest baseline rate for individuals with a serious health condition. Customers may qualify if a full-time household member has a life-threatening illness or compromised immune system, is seriously disabled, or requires more heat in the winter due to a serious health condition or to prevent deterioration of the individual’s condition. Eligibility is based on medical condition only, not household income.
SoCalGas will continue to make safety and emergency service appointments, including reports of suspected natural gas leaks, carbon monoxide checks, gas meter turn-ons, natural gas outage and pilot re-lights. Crews will continue to perform work needed to maintain infrastructure.
Service disconnections have been suspended until further notice. This means no customer will have their natural gas turned off due to non-payment. SoCalGas has also temporarily waived late fees for small business customers. SoCalGas does not charge late fees for residential customers.
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