For business owners, it pays to go green

DOWNEY - The Southern California Gas Company last week announced that more than $23 million in rebates and incentives are available this year to business customers for qualifying energy-efficiency projects - the largest pool of incentive money in the utility's 140-year history.The Gas Company made the announcement at the fifth annual Energy Efficiency Expo held May 11 in Downey. "These rebates and incentives can go a long way to help businesses through challenging economic times," said Mike Allman, president and CEO for the Gas Company. "By practicing energy efficiency, customers can meet a variety of needs by saving money, helping the environment and using natural resources wisely." Juanita's Foods has equipped its facility with energy-efficiency appliances, receiving more than $45,000 in rebates since 2007, company spokesperson Maria Elena Prado said. "We've been coming back year after year; we continuously upgrade our facility," she said. At the expo, about 250 business owners and representatives also learned about a Gas Company program that helps fund a variety of energy-efficiency improvement projects up to $100,000 with interest-free loans. In addition, rebates are available for more than 100 pieces of qualifying energy-efficient equipment, such as steam traps, insulation, boilers, water heaters and a variety of foodservice equipment. Incentive payouts are based on the amount of natural gas saved. For more information on rebates, loans and incentives offered by the Gas Company, visit www.socalgas.com/energyefficiency

********** Published: May 21, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 5