Sempra Energy’s Southern California Gas Co. plans to offer its business customers what it is calling “extreme energy efficiency” services through 2008 that individually could save up to 250,000 therms annually. The utility has committed at least $2.4 million as part of a new Energy-Efficiency Grant Program.

The utility said it provided its first grant under the program — $167,000 — to an advertising, media, marketing and communications services company, Vertis Communications, which has demonstrated savings equaling 335,000 therms annually, or about $170,000 in annual utility bill savings at current retail prices.

Vertis Communications’ engineering projects manager Ken Kowal estimated the utility grant will cut its payback period for its energy efficiency investment by six months to recover the investment in 2.5 years.

SoCalGas’ grant program offers payments for a variety of energy-efficiency projects, the utility said. “Participants can qualify through equipment replacements and/or process improvements, such as installing a new heat-recovery system or redesigning an industrial process line. Chain stores can qualify by combining their energy-efficiency savings from multiple sites.”

More information on the program is available on the SoCalGas website (www.socalgas.com) under “Energy Efficiency,” or by calling 800-GAS-2000.

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