HOUSTON — With extreme heat expected this weekend, the city of Houston is set to open several cooling centers across the area Friday morning.
They are a resource many people take advantage of every summer.
Leonel J. Castillo Community Center is one of the more than 20 cooling centers that will open Friday in partnership with Reliant as an escape from those dangerous temps we’re expected to see over the next few months.
This is the 19th year Reliant is partnering with the city to open these centers not just as a means to beat the heat, but they will also to serve as an educational resource when it comes to energy usage.
“These beat the heat centers are for some of our vulnerable citizens here in Houston so they can go and get in an air-conditioned area, there’s refreshments and we have people come in periodically to provide insights into how to reduce energy usage as well…” Scott Burns, vice-president of Innovation at Reliant, said. “So we’re excited about that for our vulnerable citizens here in Houston.”
These are the nine Reliant beat the heat centers that will open Friday morning at 8 a.m. and will be open five days a week Monday through Friday with times varying each day.
Houston cooling centers
- Monday and Wednesday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Tuesday and Thursday: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Friday: 8 a.m. – noon
Bay Area Community Center
- 5002 East NASA Parkway
- Seabrook, TX 77586
- 281-326-2955
East Harris County Activity Center
- 7340 Spencer Hwy.
- Pasadena, TX 77505
- 281-479-4232
Felix Baldree Community Center
- 13828 Corpus Christi St.
- Houston, TX 77015
- 713-455-3660
- 11901 West Hardy Rd.
- Houston, TX 77076
- 281-260-6772
JD Walker Community Center
- 7613 Wade Rd.
- Baytown, TX 77521
- 281-426-3551
Leonel J. Castillo Community Center
- 2101 South St.
- Houston, TX 77009
- 713-274-2222
Mangum-Howell Community Center
- 2500 Frick Rd.
- Houston, TX 77038
- 281-591-7830
Martin Flukinger Community Center
- 16003 Lorenzo St.
- Channelview, TX 77530
- 713-274-2132
Deputy Darren Almendarez Community Center
- 10918 1/2 Bentley St.
- Houston, TX 77093
- 281-442-7950
There are also 12 multi-service centers open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. that are run by the Houston Health Department where residents can go to cool down:
Acres Homes Multi-Service Center
- 6719 West Montgomery Rd.
- Houston, TX 77091-3105
Alief Neighborhood Center
- 11903 Bellaire Blvd.
- Houston, TX 77072-2310
Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center
- 6402 Market St.
- Houston, TX 77007-6840
- 4014 Market St.
- Houston, TX 77007-4129
Hiram Clarke Multi-Service Center
- 3810 West Fuqua St.
- Houston, TX 77045-6402
Kashmere Multi-Service Center
- 4802 Lockwood Dr.
- Houston, TX 77026-2941
Magnolia Multi-Service Center
- 7037 Capitol St.
- Houston, TX 77011-4643
Northeast Multi-Service Center
- 9720 Spaulding St.
- Houston, TX 77016-4841
Southwest Multi-Service Center
- 6400 High Star Dr.
- Houston, TX 77074-5006
Sunnyside Health and Multi-Service Center
- 4410 Reed Road
- Houston, TX 77051-2718
- 3611 Ennis St.
- Houston, TX 77004-4407
West End Multi-Service Center
- 170 Heights Blvd.
- Houston, TX 77007-3729
How to reduce energy bills during summer heat
With all this talk of heat on the way, the demand for energy this summer is going to drive up costs.
Energy experts said Texans can expect to see an 8 percent increase in usage costs this summer and it’s all based on demand.
A newly released report from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association said the average household can expect to pay $719 to keep cool from June through September this year.
That’s up 7.9 percent from the average being $661 during the same period last year, with Southeast Texas seeing the highest average in the country at $858 over the three-month period.
Energy experts here in Houston said this comes as no surprise as more people move to the area increasing demand which ultimately drives up costs, but there are steps you can take to save.
“So some of the key things we recommend are a ‘4×4 rule.’ And what that means is if you’re going to be out of a house for four hours or more, increasing the thermostat setting by at least four degrees, and that will provide significant savings. So you’re not air conditioning an empty home, which is really important,” Burns said.
So what else can you do to save?
Simple things like lowering your shades or blinds during the day which experts say can help reduce 50 percent of the heat load coming from the sun.
Also, if you can, try keeping your thermostat in the vicinity of 78 degrees.
Lastly, experts said now is a good time to get an AC tune up to make sure it’s working properly.
