Is your gas bill through the roof? Relief may be on the way

With astronomical natural gas prices squeezing the wallets of Southern California Gas Co.’s 21.8 million consumers, the company says relief could be provided as soon as next month.

A spokesman told KABC-TV Channel 7 that SoCalGas “expects to make an announcement this week about a significant drop in natural gas prices.” Calls to the utility company for more information were not immediately answered.

The utility said in December that a customer who paid $130 in its peak month of winter consumption last year would pay $315 this year, a 142% increase, since the wholesale price of natural gas has since January 2022 has increased by more than 300%.

Higher gas prices have spurred elected officials into action.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson addressed the rate hikes, say in a tweet that he would call an emergency city council meeting Wednesday afternoon “to set up a financial assistance fund for seniors and families struggling to make ends meet.”

California Senate Minority Leader Brian M. Jones, a Republican from San Diego, wrote a letter Monday with fellow Republican senators to the California Public Utilities Commission asking the body to credit the distribution of California climate credits to residents accelerate. These credits, usually distributed in April and October, come from a state program that requires industrial polluters to purchase carbon offset credits from the California Air Resources Board.

For its part, SoCalGas announced a $1 million contribution to the Gas Assistance Fund, which provides one-time payments of up to $100 for residents below certain income thresholds. The fund is a partnership between the utility company and United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

Customers looking for tips on how to save on natural gas—and lower their bills in the process—can use this guide.