ENERGY

Southern California Gas Customers to Get Credit: Certain customers will receive a one-time credit next month of about $26 on average, as a result of lower gas costs and increased competition, the utility announced. As of Aug. 31, Southern California Gas Co. customers will receive the credit on their November bills, based on their January, 1995, gas use. The $160-million refund to the utility’s residential and small commercial and industrial sales customers was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission. The credit is in addition to a previously announced rate reduction of 3.7 cents per therm to residential and small commercial and industrial sales customers. Under that cut, which became effective Sept. 16, average residential customers saw a reduction of about $1.85 a month, a gas company official said.