SoCalGas

SoCalGas has been delivering clean, safe, and reliable natural gas to its customers for more than 140 years. It is the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility, serving 21.4 million consumers in more than 500 communities. SoCalGas is receiving ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year recognition for its commitment to utilizing ENERGY STAR tools and strategies to reduce program costs and streamline implementation timelines while increasing the efficacy of its energy efficiency programs. Key activities in 2014 included:

• Highlighting products that met ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2014 criteria through cooperative marketing with retailers, social media, in-store POP, and more than 400 in-store rebate events. These activities are credited with increasing customer pre-purchase requests for ENERGY STAR certified products by 11 percent.
• Increasing the stocking and visibility of ENERGY STAR certified water heaters by offering customized in-store signage and sales associate trainings. SoCalGas influenced retailers to stock models that were only available for special order in 2013, and redeemed rebates on ENERGY STAR water heaters in 2014 increased by more than 1,000 percent over 2013.
• Selling the most ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2014 clothes washers in California—resulting in 1,305 therms saved during a two-week promotion with ENERGY STAR partners Samsung and other Western Regional Utility Network (WRUN) utilities.
• Offering rebates for ENERGY STAR certified products and supplying point of sale materials featuring ENERGY STAR to participating retail stores that support these offerings. As part of the program, SoCalGas trained more than 600 store managers on the benefits of ENERGY STAR products and associated rebate offerings for its customers.
• Maintaining awareness among store staff through quarterly store visits and trainings.
• Saving approximately 571,000 therms in 2014, an increase of approximately 12 percent over 2013.