Making Energy Efficiency Accessible To Customers
Our utilities are dedicated to involving and engaging customers in our efforts to protect the environment and sustain our natural resources. Since 2009, South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas, combined, have invested more than $133 million in energy efficiency programs.
South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas have long prioritized energy efficiency programs to help customers reduce their energy consumption and costs. From 2009 through 2020, more than 79,500 residential and commercial customers have participated in these programs.
In 2006, South Jersey Gas became one of the first utilities in the country to implement a Conservation Incentive Program. Today, the program continues to encourage customers to use natural gas more efficiently, benefitting both South Jersey Gas and its customers by eliminating the link between utility profits and the quantity of natural gas sold. Since its inception, customers have reduced their natural gas usage by a total of 101.1 billion cubic feet, enabling them to save $920.2 million in energy costs and reduce CO2 output by 5.18 million metric tons in the process. For CIP fiscal year ending September 2020, customers reduced usage by 11.1 billion cubic feet and saved $11.7 million in energy costs and reduced CO2 output by 571,783 metric tons.
In 2018, South Jersey Gas expanded its energy efficiency programs, making them more accessible to our customers and offering $72 million in rebates, financing, an efficient-products marketplace, residential weatherization for low-to-moderate-income customers and home energy audits. From 2018 – 2020, South Jersey Gas invested $54.9M in energy efficiency and continues to offer energy-saving solutions for commercial customers. The South Jersey Gas energy efficiency suite of programs, Smart Energy Partners, represents our commitment to energy efficiency and helping customers save energy and money.
Elizabethtown Gas offers a collection of energy efficiency programs including high efficiency equipment rebates, home energy assessments, home weatherization for income-qualified customers and a commercial steam trap program for municipalities, universities, hospitals and schools. Enhancements of Elizabethtown’s efficiency programs are ongoing.
Home Energy Reports
To make smart decisions about their energy usage, customers must be informed. Home Energy Reports play a critical role in this process. To date, South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas have collectively delivered more than one million Home Energy Reports. These personalized reports show each customer their unique energy usage data and provide recommendations for how they can control their energy consumption, cost and environmental impact.
Income Qualified Programs
South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas partner with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to deliver the Comfort Partners Program, a free program that helps income-eligible customers reduce their utility bills through implementing cost-effective measures which save energy and money while improving their home’s safety and comfort at no cost to them.
In 2020, South Jersey Gas spent $1.8 million serving 300 customers through the Comfort Partners Program, while Elizabethtown Gas spent $1.4 million serving 286 customers. In addition, South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas offered a moderate-income free weatherization program and spent over $540,000 combined while serving 104 customers in 2020.
Expanding Energy Efficiency
Looking ahead, we will remain committed to energy efficiency access and education, with a focus on benefitting our customers and the environment. To further solidify our commitment to the state’s climate priorities, South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas submitted a new suite of energy efficiency investments to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities in September 2020. In July of 2021 we will be expanding energy efficient programs for customers at both utilities with a total of $216 Million dollars in investments.