BEAUMONT, Texas–Over the next several days, winter weather will likely bring ice, snow and frigid temperatures to parts of southeast Texas. Extreme winter weather can cause power outages and downed power lines, but the company is prepared.
Entergy Texas employees plan and train year-round, ready to respond and restore power when severe weather strikes. Our perpetual cycle of planning, preparation and training ensures we are Operation Storm Ready for every weather situation.
“We’re continuing to monitor the weather, and our crews are going through their pre-storm check-list to ensure we are ready to respond,” said Stuart Barrett, Entergy Texas vice president of customer service. “We encourage customers to form a storm-preparedness plan before severe weather appears. Waiting until a storm arrives may be too late.”
Prepare for extreme winter weather and the soon-to-come spring storms in advance by assembling an emergency kit of basic supplies. Make sure your family knows what to do and where to go if disaster strikes. Entergy can help you prepare with these tips on how to make a plan and a kit.
After stocking up, ensure that you have several ways of getting severe weather warnings:
- Install a smartphone app that will alert you to severe weather in the area or sign up for emergency alerts on your smart phone.
- Have a weather radio with a loud alarm that will wake you when severe weather threatens at night.
Know how to communicate with Entergy Texas if you need help after a storm hits. There are several ways to report outages or downed power lines:
- Download the free app for your smartphone at entergy.com/app.
- Sign up for text alerts by texting REG to 36778 and have your account number and ZIP code handy. The registration pattern is as follows, including spaces: REG (account number) (ZIP code). Once registered, text OUT to 36778 to report an outage. You can also report an outage online as a guest.
- Visit the Entergy Storm Center website and our View Outages map.
- Call us at 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243).
"While we work hard to prevent disruptions, strong winter storms and freezing rain can still cause power outages,” said Barrett. “Being prepared and having everything you need in one location, including a way to notify us, can help you weather the storm while we work to safely restore your service.”
Cold weather can also affect bills. Heating systems have to work harder to keep your home or business warm, thus using more electricity. Also, leaky doors or windows can let cold air in. Follow these tips to minimize the impact of cold weather on your energy bill:
- Set the temperature at 68 degrees for optimum energy efficiency and comfort. Every degree higher than this can raise your bill as much as 3 percent, so a winter setting of 78 degrees could increase your bill by 30 percent.
- Do not waste money heating rooms you don’t use often. Close the vents to direct the air to the rooms you use the most.
- Put weather stripping around doors or windows, or place a rolled-up towel at the bottom of exterior doors to block cold air that can seep in.
For more simple, low-cost tips to help you save energy and money on your power bill, visit entergytexas.com/savemoney.