Get ready for frigid weather!
A polar vortex is heading our way. If you have our natural gas, propane, and/or electric service, please read through important updates about each service below.
In temperatures like these, heating systems use a lot more energy to keep your home at a reasonable temperature. You may be using more gas, propane, and/or electricity to keep your house colder than it usually is, simply because your systems are working much harder to offset the weather.
Resources
Visit our Energy Efficiency Page for resources and tools to help you conserve and save.
Visit our Winter Storm Preparation Page to review how to stay safe if an outage occurs in cold weather.
Natural Gas
Transport Critical Days
Due to extreme demand, our natural gas supplier has issued “Transport Critical Days,” for January 18-21, which means that all natural gas purchased during this time will cost us about three times more than it usually does.
As a not-for-profit cooperative, our rates reflect the costs we pay for the services we provide you. This means that we never charge extra to make more profit, but it also means that when our costs increase it increases our members’ costs too.
Help us keep costs down for all natural gas members by conserving during these Transport Critical Days. While conserving will not change the rates, it will help us purchase less natural gas while the costs are so high. The less we have to purchase during this time, the less impact it has on our members.
We will share more information with our natural gas members when the Transport Critical Days are over and we have a more complete picture of their impact.
Electric
Peak Alerts
During times of extreme demand (like a polar vortex), you may hear about “peak alerts” or “peak demand.” A “peak alert” occurs when a utility provider is close to demanding more electric power than they have ever used before. When demand reaches a new peak, it also sets a new, higher price than electricity.
Now more than ever, it is important for us all to try and safely conserve power during times when demand is high – not just to curb rising costs, but also to help avoid the need for rolling blackouts. Conservation during peak times can be as simple as lowering your thermostat by a few degrees, or turning off unused appliances and electronics. Learn more about electric energy reliability and affordability on our Energy Policy Resources page.
Propane
Keep an eye on your tank!
Our propane team is working hard to make sure you have the fuel that you need to stay warm, but times of high use can make it harder for members to keep tabs on their propane tank. Please be aware that you are likely using propane at a faster rate than usual, even if you have turned your thermostat down.
During times of extreme cold, we recommend calling in to schedule a refill when your tank reaches 40%, instead of our typical recommendation of 30%. High use can catch our members off guard, and our teams are running a tight schedule as many more members are calling in for regular and urgent refills. When demand is this high, it takes us more time than usual to work in unexpected, last-minute deliveries. It also may cost you more, as you can incur leak test and rush fees if your tank is empty or below 10% capacity.
We understand that sometimes things happen, and we will do our best to get to you efficiently if your tank is running low. Please join us in taking extra precautions and checking your tank more frequently during cold snaps. Thank you for working with us!
