As Southern Californians struggle with massive gas bills this winter, SoCalGas is seeking to increase rates even more over the next four years.
The utility, which serves 22 million people, filed its application with the California Public Utilities Commission in May 2022. The commission will make a decision in the coming months.
The first of those hearings takes place this afternoon on Monday, March 6.
SoCalGas held a virtual public forum on Monday, March 6 (2 p.m.) and will hold another Wednesday, March 15 (6 p.m.) for customers to voice their opinions on the proposal.
The live broadcast (English with Spanish captions) can be accessed at: www.adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc
You can watch a recording of the March 6 hearing at: https://www.adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc/hearing/20230306/
A couple of things to know:
More than 500 comments were received ahead of the first hearing.
SoCalGas is seeking the following increases:
If the rate request is approved, customers using the typical 36 therms per month are looking at paying about $8.28 more a month, starting in January of next year, though prices may vary from household to household.
The costs, however, can vary greatly depending on the market, as many households have learned in recent months when the rates skyrocketed. The increases sought by SoCalGas are baseline increases, so the monthly price may still fluctuate beyond those proposed hikes.
The price of natural gas, which is composed primarily of methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, increased by 128% between December and January. The cold weather, high gas consumption and reduced methane gas flows have all contributed to alarmingly high bills that have left many Angelenos frustrated.
SoCalGas says the increases would bring in an additional $738 million, which it says it needs to meet higher operating costs and to maintain its infrastructure.
The utility also says it would use part of the money to invest in its gas delivery system and workforce and to "advance clean energy for customers and the environment."
State law requires residential units to have heating systems that can keep indoor temperatures at a minimum of 70 degrees. That means every dwelling unit and guest room offered for rent or lease should offer heating equipment, usually central air conditioning (A/C) or a wall heater. — Caitlin Hernández
Use heat smartly to save money: Cranking things like the A/C and wall heaters can be expensive. If money is tight, be judicious about how and when you use your utilities. For example, only use heaters at night or only set the thermostat to around 70 degrees.
Open and close those vents: If you have central A/C, look at where the vents are around your home. Are any open in places where you don’t stay long? Practice opening and closing those so warm air only goes where you need it (most vents should have a small toggle lever). Humidifiers can also help you warm things up — and it’s useful to add moisture into our dry air.
Adjust your wall heaters: If you have a wall heater, you can change the output by adjusting the knob (usually at the bottom). Since wall heaters can only warm the areas where they’re placed, it’s essential to close doors to rooms you won’t be in so hot air doesn’t get wasted.
Turn on your ceiling fan (really): If you have a ceiling fan, try turning it on. This sounds counterintuitive, but there’s science behind it. The direction a fan turns can push air in different directions, and since hot air floats up, you’ll want to move that around. Your fan should spin clockwise to create an updraft to circulate. Not all fans will have this option, though.
