LOS ANGELES - MARCH 21, 2016 - Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) is encouraging customers to use its text- and email-based bill alerts and online bill comparison tools to help them take control of their natural gas bills.
While cold snaps earlier this winter led to increased natural gas usage for many, some SoCalGas customers may also have had longer than 30-days’ use on their bills due changes in meter reading schedules. The company reconciles bills so that customers are never billed for more gas than they’ve used. Still, bills can sometimes be complex, and SoCalGas offers easy-to-use online tools to help customers understand them. Customers simply log in or register for My Account on socalgas.com to use these tools.
“We recognize that gas bills can sometimes be confusing, and concerning if they suddenly go up,” said Gillian Wright, SoCalGas vice president of customer services. “We want our customers to get the information they need to have confidence that their gas bill is correct, and understand what they are getting charged for.”
To understand their energy usage and charges, customers can log in or register for My Account at socalgas.com and select “Ways to Save” then go to “Compare Bills” and view “Bill Highlights” to see why their bills may have changed. There, customers can find energy and bill analysis tools that allow them to analyze differences between bills, understand the effects of weather on energy use, see the number of billing days on the bill, and even create customized energy savings plans.
The more than four and a half million customers who have Advanced Meters are able to access even more detailed information about their hourly and daily gas usage and costs through the “Analyze Usage” online tool within the My Account, “Ways to Save” section. These customers are also eligible to sign up for weekly Bill Tracker Alerts—texted to their phones or sent via email—to track their projected gas bill during the billing cycle. Customers can enroll in Bill Tracker Alerts and other billing and payment-related notifications through “Manage My Account,” “Manage Alerts,” within My Account.
Customers who wish to check their meter readings themselves are encouraged to do so. Instructions on how to read meters are available at www.socalgas.com/pay-bill/understanding-your-bill/how-to-read-a-natural-gas-meter. Those with Advanced Meters as well as traditionally-read meters can read their meters themselves to check their gas usage and readings.
For more information please click on the "Read on... " link below.