IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
The Southern California Gas Co. has asked its customers to cut their use of natural gas in order to avoid a shortage of that commodity as well as electricity.
The Los Angeles-based company is asking its customers to lower their thermostats to 68 degrees or below, delay the use of natural gas appliances and wash clothes in cold water whenever possible, according to a statement released Monday.
SoCal Gas, which services an estimated 21.6 million consumers in 500 communities, including the Inland Empire, might send a statement to its customers asking them to curtail their use of natural gas.
The recent cold weather spell prompted SoCal Gas to issue the request, which is part of an advisory program created by the California Public Utilities Commission.
More than 95 percent of Southern Californians use natural gas to heat their homes, and roughly 60 percent of the electricity used in California is generated at power plants that run on natural gas, according to the statement.
