February 14, 2021—The Kerrville Public Utility Board (KPUB) is issuing an energy conservation appeal to the public after the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) issues warnings anticipating record-energy demands that could impact the Texas power grid through Tuesday.
Help us keep our community’s—and the state’s—lights on and avoid potential power-supply outage issues by conserving energy (peak winter usage hours/when conservation is needed the most is between 7 a.m.-12 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.).
The extremely cold temperatures we are experiencing also mean that there is a significant increase Texas is experiencing with energy usage and demands—much more energy is required to comfortably heat homes and businesses at normal temperatures.
ERCOT manages the flow of electric power to more than 26 million Texas customers—representing about 90 percent of the state’s electric load. ERCOT predicts record electric use through Tuesday, February 16, and is requesting that Texans reduce their electric use as much as possible.
“We are experiencing record-breaking electric demand due to the extreme cold temperatures that have gripped Texas,” said ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness. “At the same time, we are dealing with higher-than-normal generation outages due to frozen wind turbines and limited natural gas supplies available to generating units. We are asking Texans to take some simple, safe steps to lower their energy use during this time.”
To help conserve energy in these harsh winter conditions, KPUB recommends that customers utilize the following energy-saving conservation tips:
- Setting your thermostat to 68 degrees or under.
- Avoiding using major appliances such as dryers during peak morning and evening hours.
- Closing shades and blinds to reduce heat leaving your home.
- Bundling up and utilizing clothing and blankets for additional warmth.
- Turning off unused lights and unplugging any nonessential equipment and appliances as they can still draw current, even when turned off.
KPUB also recommends that customers keep their cellphone devices fully charged during extreme weather events and be prepared with safety kits that include spare flashlights, batteries, candles and a battery-powered cellphone charging device. Additional tips can be found on KPUB’s website at https://www.kpub.com/cold-weather-safety-tips/.
If a KPUB customer is experiencing an outage, they can report the outage 24/7 by:
- Contacting our outage line at 830.257.2883.
- Through SmartHub via the utility’s app or online account management.
- NEW! Or through text if they are a SmartHub user with a single account and up-to-date contact information by texting the word OUT to our SMS phone #768482.
KPUB’s outage map and additional outage tips and information can be found online at https://www.kpub.com/support/outages/.