ENERGY

SoCal Drops Gas Prices for Core Customers: Southern California Gas Co. has reduced the price it charges for natural gas at the Southern California border by 7.3%, the utility said. Core customers are dependent on the SoCal system, have no access to alternative fuels and buy directly from the utility. The new rate will be $1.662 per million British thermal units, 12.26 cents per million BTUs less than the August price of $1.7846. Traders cited low weather-related demand and high levels of natural gas in storage as the main reasons for the low futures prices.