Daniel Gonzalez has been a Southern California Edison customer for more than 60 years. He worked as a welder for 50 years, 30 as a contractor at the El Segundo Energy Center, which SCE once owned.

"I am grateful to Edison for giving me work and grateful today for affording my wife and me energy-efficient benefits," he said.

Gonzalez refers to the new refrigerator he and his wife, Estela, received through SCE's residential Energy Savings Assistance program, designed to help income-qualifying customers save money purchasing and installing energy-efficient home appliances at minimal or no charge.

"My 20-year-old refrigerator would eat up too much energy. I am happy with my free replacement," said Gonzalez, who was referred to the program by their caretaker, Rosa Sanchez, through a connection with PACELA, a nonprofit organization partnered with SCE.

Once a customer is qualified, SCE will cover the purchase and installation costs of new energy-efficient appliances, including refrigerators, heat pump heating and cooling systems and various energy- and cost-saving devices.

"Our Energy Savings Assistance program can provide eligible customers with heat pump technology water heaters, at no cost. Heat pumps, along with our other offered energy-efficient replacement appliances and services, help reduce energy costs on utility bills," said Carter Prescott, SCE director of Advanced Energy Solutions.

In addition to his refrigerator, Gonzalez received LED lighting and a smart thermostat for his home in the city of Commerce, where he and Estela have lived since 1974.

"Life evolves, and life keeps getting expensive. The benefits from SCE truly help people in need, like me," he said.

How the Energy Savings Assistance program works:

Available energy-efficient appliances and services are grouped into Basic and Basic Plus. Whether a customer qualifies for Basic vs. Basic Plus is based on their average energy use. Those who qualify for Basic Plus are considered high-energy-use customers, or 200% above normal baseline levels.

To be eligible for SCE's Energy Savings Assistance program, customers must:

• Be a homeowner or renter who receives electric services through a residential meter.
• Live in a single-family home or mobile home.
• Have an active SCE service account.
• Meet appliance replacement/installation requirements for each service.
• Match criteria for Option 1 or Option 2 listed on the SCE Energy Savings Assistance webpage.
  
  

The Energy Savings Assistance program is available to homeowners and renters as long as income qualifications are met. Customers can apply online and check the status of an application here.

To learn more about SCE's Energy Savings Assistance program, visit sce.com/esap.