HOT WEATHER LEADS TO RECORD BREAKING ENERGY DEMAND IN SAN ANTONIO

San Antonio, TX, July 24, 2018 – For the past two weeks, San Antonio residents have been experiencing the blistering heatwave that is impacting most of Texas. Flirting with temperatures at or above 100 degrees has made going outside nearly impossible. Staying cool and comfortable indoors has led to a demand for electricity unlike any experienced in Greater San Antonio in previous years. CPS Energy reports that yesterday between 6 – 7 p.m., their more than 821,000 customers used a whopping 5,080 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The previous peak energy usage record was set on August 12, 2016, when customers’ energy use reached 5,017 MW.

“With the multiple 100 degree days we’ve experienced this summer we fully expected to move past the previous record,” said Cris Eugster, Chief Operating Officer for CPS Energy. “We credit our community for working together and playing a significant role to conserve despite the high temperatures. We were able to handle the extreme weather pressures because our community stepped up, again.  Our customers’ willingness to conserve helped us better manage the high temperatures so our community experienced no system disturbance.”

CPS Energy is proactively providing energy saving tips through their Simple Summer Savings campaign to create awareness about actions customers can take to conserve energy and save money on their energy bill. These messages have been distributed via media outreach, social media, billboards, and customer events. The customer events are designed to provide customers an opportunity to speak with energy experts in person to learn more about energy saving programs to help them save money. The final Simple Summer Savings customer event is scheduled for Thursday, July 26, 2018, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., St. Dominic Church, 5919 Ingram Rd.

Extreme temperatures, in the winter and summer, are the primary driver of higher bills.  With temperatures expected to continue to hover around 100 degrees, customers are being encouraged to take key actions to conserve energy throughout the hottest part of the day, between 3-7 p.m.  Typically, a spike in electric consumption is seen during this time of day when area temperatures reach their highest and most people are returning home from work.

These tips will help keep energy usage low and minimize the impact on August energy bills.

• Set thermostats between 78-80 degrees and bump it up a few degrees when away from home.
• Use fans in occupied rooms.
• Turn off all lights and appliances, and unplug electronic equipment when not in use.
• Close blinds and drapes in rooms that get direct sun.
• Discontinue the use of appliances such as the dishwasher, washer and dryer during peak hours.
• Grill outside in the evening instead of using the stove or oven

Customers who have a Manage My Account (MMA) profile can see their energy consumption online through our My Energy Portal. This allows customers to now only compare their usage this month to last month, but to also compare usage for the same time period last year.  Through this portal, customers can access additional energy savings tips and see how changes in the weather impacts their energy use. Customers who have a smart meter, can see their energy usage on a daily basis and in fifteen minute intervals.

Additionally, CPS Energy is reminding customers to keep safety in mind and only take energy-saving measures as health permits.

For more energy saving tips and energy saving resources, visit cpsenergy.com/summersavings. Get CPS Energy news as soon as it happens. Subscribe to our Newsroom and follow CPS Energy on social media.

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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 821,675 electric and 347,408 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. For more information, visit cpsenergy.com.