April 6, 2020 • EPE Related News
El Paso Electric says that usage rates are currently lower during stay-at-home order
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El Paso Electric says that usage rates are currently lower during stay-at-home order
EL PASO, Texas — As the utility is considered essential, El Paso Electric said that it's continuing to monitor usage.
El Paso’s Stay-at-Home order means that more and more people will be using electricity.
And with temperatures heating up, they'll also be turning on those air conditioning units.
With outages happening last summer due to a high demand, El Paso Electric said that crews are working continuing to work, and prepare.
El Paso Electric said that the biggest factor to outages is weather.
Despite more people being home, the company said that usage is not spiking as much as anticipated.
“We are currently experiencing slightly lower electricity use throughout our region and while our residential customers are using more energy, that energy is being offset by non-essential businesses that are not open,” said a spokesperson for El Paso Electric, Eddie Gutierrez.
Now if you’re concerned your bill could be too high, there are tips on how to save energy:
Use ceiling and portable fans or circulate cool air, close blinds or drapes to block heat from coming into your home.
If you are leaving your home for more than 4 hours, set your thermostat to 80 degrees or higher. When returning, remember that setting your temperature to a lower setting will not cool your home faster.
To report an outage, you can contact El Paso Electric at 915-543-5970 or through the My EPE Outage app.
To prepare for an outage, keep flashlights, batteries, and battery-operated gadgets handy.
Avoid opening your fridge and freezer during an outage. Unopened freezers can keep food frozen up to 48 hours. Food can stay cold for up to 24 hours.
New city ordinances are also prohibiting utilities from being turned off if you cannot pay amid this pandemic.
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