DALLAS — Atmos Energy is asking its customers to conserve natural gas to help maintain service Friday, as the extreme cold blankets the region.
This week’s arctic blast brought the coldest weather since February 2021, and by this morning temperatures were in the single digits across DFW.
Atmos Energy says it’s closely monitoring the weather and staging employees across the area, but the company is urging customers to help with demand by following several tips, including lowering thermostats to 68 degrees, refrain from using large appliances and conserving electricity:
- Do not use your natural gas fireplace.
- Lower your thermostat to at least 68 degrees. Consider wearing additional layers of clothing and turning down the thermostat even lower.
- Businesses should minimize energy usage as much as possible.
- Lower the water heater temperature to 120 degrees, because it can account for as much as 25 percent of the energy consumed in your home.
- Unplug electronic devices and turn off lights that are not in use. By conserving electricity, you are also helping to conserve natural gas which keeps the power on.
- Reduce shower time and avoid baths. Showering accounts for about 40 percent of your home’s hot water use.
- Refrain from using large appliances like your washer, dryer, oven, and dishwasher for the next few days. When in use, limit opening the oven door to prevent wasted energy.
- If you have a pool, do not use the pool heater. Instead, run your pool pump during the coldest part of the day to circulate the water and prevent freezing.
Some viewers have told WFAA that they have reported some issues. At this time, Atmos has not reported any outages, and grid conditions are normal but did not address issues.
Atmos Energy also says if you smell natural gas or suspect a leak, leave the area immediately and from a safe place call 911 and Atmos Energy at 866-322-8667.
A spokesperson from the Railroad Commission of Texas sent following statement was sent to WFAA:
"The Railroad Commission is aware of some localized low-pressure issues due to extremely high demand in areas served by Atmos Energy, Mid-Tex Division. Atmos is working to increase the pressure in the system and to continue to work tickets for customers who experienced low-pressure issues. Atmos’ customer call center is open. Additional resources have been added to handle the call volumes and work customer tickets. Atmos Mid-Tex reported there is no gas supply issues overall in the system at this time. The Commission remains in close communication with Atmos and will provide updates as we get them."
