Fueling a Natural Gas Vehicle

Learn how to refuel a natural gas vehicle at a public station or through a home refueling appliance.


Natural gas vehicles can be refueled at:

  • Public Stations: Southern California has one of the best compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling networks in the U.S., including 16 SoCalGas operated stations.  Find a station near you.
  • Home: Residential customers can install a CNG home refueling appliance to conveniently refuel at home.

Refueling Instructions

The process for refueling an NGV is very similar to the process used at local gasoline stations. Most dispensers accept major credit cards, and the filling time is similar to using a gasoline pump. Most stations do not have attendants on duty. 

To operate most public CNG dispensers:

  1. Turn off your engine. Do not smoke.
  2. Remove the vehicle's dust cap, and take the fueling nozzle off its holder.
  3. Align the arrows on the nozzle so that they point to each other.
  4. Place the nozzle over the fuel receptacle.
  5. Rotate the lever so that the arrows point away from each other, and lock the nozzle on.
  6. Insert your fleet or credit card, and follow the instructions on the screen.
  7. Once payment is authorized, lift the dispenser handle, and fueling will begin.
  8. When fueling is complete, lower the handle to turn the dispenser off.
  9. To disconnect the nozzle, slowly rotate the nozzle handle 180 degrees until the arrows are again pointing to each other.
  10. Remove the nozzle. You may hear a slight release of pressure.
  11. Return the nozzle to its holder, and replace the dust cap.

SoCalGas CNG Prices

Generally, CNG purchased at SoCalGas® public stations cost less per gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) than gasoline. The U.S. Government’s Energy Information Administration tracks gasoline and diesel costs * on a weekly basis. For your convenience, there are public SoCalGas CNG stations located across the SoCalGas service area. See this month's SoCalGas CNG station pump prices.