As your electricity advocate, Energy Ogre wants to keep you weather aware ahead of the December cold snap across Texas. With the colder weather, windy conditions, and periods of freezing temperatures, electricity will be at the forefront of everyone's thoughts. With the holidays and many people staying home from work and school, your electricity use will likely be higher than forecasted.
How Do I Prepare My House for Freezing in Texas
Here are a few things you can do to prepare for the cold and keep your usage increase to a minimum:
- Protect your pipes by wrapping them with insulation. Also, leave faucets dripping and pools running so water won't freeze and crack the pipes. And don't forget about your sprinkler system - drain them if you can.
Cover your outdoor plants and provide adequate shelter for outdoor pets, if you can't bring them inside.
Keep your thermostat as low as comfortably possible. Lowering your thermostat by a single degree or two can save energy, which in addition to saving you money can also potentially prevent outages in your area.
- Avoid running large appliances such as washers, dryers, and electric ovens any more than necessary. You should also turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.
- Stop drafts. Plastic sheeting can help with windows. Caulk gaps if you have time. Towels or blankets can help keep out the cold at the bottom of doors.
- If you are using a space heater, make sure it is plugged directly into a wall outlet and placed on non-carpeted flooring and three feet from anything that can burn. Never leave a heater unattended or on while sleeping.
- Stay away from downed power and utility lines. Even if they are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Never drive over a downed power line!
- Keep mobile devices charged to use in an emergency. Before an outage occurs, locate the reporting number or website for your regional TDSP so you can have information readily available. You can find your TDSP information and who to call in case the power goes out here.
Please stay safe during this winter. And remember, as cold as it gets, you can feel warm inside because at least you aren't paying real-time electricity prices!
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