SAN DIEGO, Feb. 24, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) with the Excellence in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Education 2005 Award for its outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by promoting the construction of energy-efficient homes. SDG&E's accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington on March 15, 2005.
SDG&E, an ENERGY STAR(r) partner, is being honored for promoting the construction of new homes that meet EPA's strict guidelines for energy efficiency. Energy Star qualified new homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating -- homeowners can expect to save about $200 to $400 annually on their utility bills.
The program, run by SDG&E, Southern California Gas Company, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison, provides builders with information on the benefits of energy-efficient homes plus financial incentives for offering customers Energy Star homes.
"SDG&E takes pride in our accomplishments together with Energy Star," said Michelle Mueller, vice president of customer service for SDG&E. "We encourage the construction of new homes that are good for homeowners and beneficial to the environment."
The Excellence in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Education Award is given to a variety of organizations to recognize their efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution, resulting in significant cost savings to homeowners. Award winners are selected from over 3,000 organizations that participate in the Energy Star program.
SDG&E's contributions to the construction of energy-efficient homes help provide homeowners with quieter, more comfortable, and healthier homes, with significant utility savings.
Last year alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved about $10 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 20 million cars.
"Every qualified Energy Star home keeps 4,500 pounds of greenhouse gases out of our air each year," said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division. "Energy Star partners such as SDG&E are doing an outstanding job of promoting new homes that perform better for homeowners and for the environment. We applaud their efforts to help create a new generation of homes that offer the very best in terms of efficiency, comfort, and durability."
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to three million consumers through 1.3 million electric meters and more than 800,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. Exceptional customer service is a priority of SDG&E as it seeks to enhance the region's quality of life. SDG&E is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE). Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company. To learn more, go to www.sdge.com.