SoCalGas: $3M in grant funds still available to help with bills

Roughly $3 million in grant funds remain available for eligible customers struggling to pay their natural gas bills, and eligibility for the program has been expanded, Southern California Gas Co. announced Wednesday.

The utility originally allotted $6 million for the Gas Assistance Fund, which provides one-time grants of up to $500 to help low-income customers pay their bills. More than 10,000 customers have received grant funding this year, according to SoCalGas. But about half of the money still remains available.

“To reach more customers who might need assistance with paying their bills, we expanded the eligibility requirements and encourage customers to visit our website to see if they now qualify,” said Gillian Wright, SoCalGas senior vice president and chief customer officer. “We also offer useful resources on energy conservation, assistance programs to manage energy consumption, and make energy-efficient home improvements to help lower customer bills.”

According to the utility, the average grant amount awarded to customers is $300, although grants of up to $500 are available. Information about eligibility is available online at socalgas.com/GAF.

The grants are awarded through a partnership between SoCalGas and United Way of Greater Los Angeles.