New Text System Will Alert RivCo's SoCal Gas Customers Of Natural Gas Price Hikes

WILDOMAR, CA — Wildomar, Canyon Lake, and Lake Elsinore-area residents may experience residual trauma when opening their Southern California Gas Co. bill after last year's 300 percent natural gas price hikes. In November, the utility launched a new text notification service to warn customers when higher prices are coming down the pipeline.

One year ago, SoCal Gas customers learned — many, the hard way —that their natural gas bills could be double what they had paid in previous years. According to earlier reports, the price increase was blamed on multiple factors, from early cold weather to low storage and out-of-state natural gas constraints on supply, causing the higher bills.

This winter, SoCal Gas is introducing its "Notify Me" text messaging service to help customers know when prices are up so that they can adjust their gas and energy use. Alerts will be sent between December 2023 and March 2024, and customers can sign up using their online SoCal Gas accounts.

The texts will warn customers when there is a 20 percent or higher increase in monthly natural gas costs, affecting customer bills, according to the SoCal Gas website. Customers can also track their usage online.

What can residents do to combat rising gas bills?

All three major utility companies offer level pay options that average gas costs over multiple months.

Other tips for customers to lower gas bills are washing clothes in cold water, reducing the water heater temperature, keeping the areas around vents clear, and closing curtains and blinds at night.

For more information, visit www.socalgas.com.