Below Freezing Temperatures Expected Across the Hill Country
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(JOHNSON CITY, Texas) February 18, 2025 — Pedernales Electric Cooperative is watching weather reports closely and standing by for a bitter-cold Arctic front set to descend on the Texas Hill Country. Temperatures are expected to dip below freezing Tuesday evening and an extreme cold weather watch has been issued through Thursday for several counties in PEC’s service area. The Cooperative continues to monitor conditions closely with plans in place, plus additional supplies, staff, and crews ready to respond.
PEC would like to remind members who experience an outage to report it by texting the word “outage” to 25022 from the mobile number associated with their account. Members can also report an outage by calling PEC’s outage reporting line at 888-883-3379. Now is also an important time to prepare the following:
- Prevent high bills on cold days: Keep your thermostat set at 68 degrees or lower. If 68 degrees is too cold for comfort, keep your temperature as close to 68 degrees as comfortably possible, wearing blankets and warm clothing. Avoid raising your thermostat more than 2 degrees at a time to prevent kicking on your emergency or auxiliary heat. These heat settings use a significant amount of energy to run and can drive up your bill. Monitor your energy use on PEC’s SmartHub to prevent surprise bills next month due to this month’s cold temperatures.
- Prepare your home: Use weatherstripping and caulking to tightly seal windows and doors, especially in any areas where cool air can enter. Drip faucets to prevent pipes from freezing and wrap outdoor faucets with an insulated cover.
- Charge cell phones and prepare your emergency kit: Include food, water, blankets, batteries, chargers, and other essential items.
- Review your emergency plan, including what to do in case of an extended outage: PEC cannot guarantee uninterrupted or continuous power, and we strongly encourage all members to develop an emergency plan for backup generation or shelter, if needed. A statewide list of warming centers is available on the Texas Department of Emergency Management’s website. Check on neighbors, especially those who are elderly and live alone.
PEC will post updates on social media and online at mypec.com. Additional tips are available at mypec.com/prep.
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