If you woke up this morning with ice on your windows, you know winter seems to finally be here. In response to this cold weather, Southern California Gas Co. issued a SoCalGas Advisory yesterday asking customers to immediately reduce their natural gas use to help lower the risk of possible natural gas and electricity shortages. Residents can use up to as much as 7x more natural gas in cold weather than they do in the summer. Natural gas supplies are still limited and that’s why it is important that the community joins in on conserving energy.
SoCalGas and SDG&E are issuing the advisory in anticipation of forecasted cold weather conditions throughout the SoCalGas and SDG&E territories. During cold weather heating your home can account for more than half of your total natural gas bill during winter. Keeping homes warm and water hot is usually the #1 energy expense for most customers during the winter months. With the increased use of natural gas there is a potential for a supply shortfall, and so customers are asked to curtail their service and reduce natural gas consumption.
You can reduce your natural gas consumption and help conserve energy by following the tips below:
Lower thermostats to 68 degrees or below
Delay the use of natural gas appliances
Wash clothes in cold water when possible
Reduce temperature on your water heater
Clean or replace furnace filters
Check out the video below to find out more about cold weather conservation and what you can do to help conserve energy.