CPS ENERGY STANDS READY FOR COLD AND RAINY FORECAST CHANGES

(San Antonio, TX) December 30, 2020 – According to the National Weather Service, there is a risk of severe storms Wednesday afternoon and evening near and east of the I-35 and I-37 corridors. These storms combined with a drop in temperature Wednesday evening could result in a winter weather advisory and/or winter storm watch to be issued later this week. Forecasts indicate a potential for wintry precipitation in and around the San Antonio area to increase Thursday. CPS Energy is actively monitoring weather conditions to ensure adequate staffing is available should the storm result in power outages to their customers.

CPS Energy wants to ensure the safety of the public, customers, and employees and is asking residents to drive safely and to remember to look for CPS Energy workers as they work to restore power to the community. On September 1, 2019, the state’s Move Over/Slow Down law became applicable to utilities requiring drivers to move over or slow down when they encounter utility crews on the side of the road.

CPS Energy is encouraging customers to familiarize themselves with their interactive Outage Map by viewing an outage map tutorial video located at the Outage Center. The new map refreshes every 5 minutes to provide users with an improved experience about outage information.

CPS Energy also offers tips to help customers stay safe and manage their bill during this high energy use period.

Never use a stove/oven as a space heater.
Test smoke alarms to verify they are working in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every floor.
Test or install carbon monoxide alarms in a central location outside sleeping areas.
Keep flammable liquids and spray cans at least three feet from heating equipment.
When using a natural gas space heater, leave a window open a couple of inches for proper ventilation.

For additional safety tips, please visit cpsenergy.com/safety.

While cooler temperatures can affect energy bills, there are simple things you can do to stay warm, save energy and minimize the impact of winter.

Bundle up. Throw on a heavy sweater, warm socks and cozy up under a warm blanket.
Keep all doors and windows closed when the heat is on.
Do not block heat registers or air returns with curtains or furniture.
Close the damper on fireplaces when not in use.
Open drapes to let warm sunlight in during the day. Close them at night to reduce heat loss.
Conserve hot water. Take short showers or shallow baths.
Make sure ceiling fans are running in a counter clockwise direction during the winter. Don’t forget to turn off fans when you leave the room.

For additional energy-saving tips, visit us at cpsenergy.com.

###

About CPS Energy

Established in 1860, CPS Energy is the nation’s largest public power, natural gas and electric company, providing safe, reliable, and competitively-priced service to 840,750 electric and 352,585 natural gas customers in San Antonio and portions of seven adjoining counties. Our customers’ combined energy bills rank among the lowest of the nation’s 20 largest cities – while generating $7 billion in revenue for the City of San Antonio for more than seven decades. As a trusted and strong community partner, we continuously focus on job creation, economic development and educational investment. True to our People First philosophy, we are powered by our skilled workforce, whose commitment to the community is demonstrated through our employees’ volunteerism in giving back to our city and programs aimed at bringing value to our customers. CPS Energy is among the top public power wind energy buyers in the nation and number one in Texas for solar generation.