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As we enter the winter season, CPS Energy is sharing important reminders to help customers stay warm, save money and support grid reliability. This year, CPS Energy has completed its annual winter maintenance on its units and added additional energy reserves to help strengthen reliability during the cold weather. You can contribute to this reliability and save money in the process by conserving energy when it’s needed the most.
CPS Energy’s color-coded conservation system is designed to make energy savings simple. The system includes four levels: Green, Yellow, Orange and Red. Each level provides tips based on the anticipated energy demand for that day and can help customers understand when conservation is most important.
With safety and reliability top of mind, CPS Energy also wants to make it easier for customers to understand when conservation can have the biggest impact. This is where Cam the Chameleon comes in. Cam has partnered with CPS Energy to share daily energy-saving tips and the color of the day throughout our website, social media channels and even on billboards around the city. Cam changes color to match the conservation level, making it easy to know what the day’s anticipated demand looks like and what actions are recommended. Cam has tips and tricks for each color level that customers can use at home during the winter.
Green Days
- Set your thermostat to 68 degrees.
- Run ceiling fans clockwise — this forces the warm air that rises naturally near the ceiling into the room.
- Open shades and blinds to allow sunlight to come in.
- Turn off unnecessary lights.
- Unplug electronics when not in use. Devices left plugged in can still drain power — this is called phantom energy!
Yellow Days
- Continue Green Day conservation measures.
- Check cpsenergy.com/ConserveAndSave and our social media for times of day when more conservation is needed.
- Adjust thermostats a few degrees lower to minimize HVAC use, if health permits.
- Avoid using large appliances like your oven, washer, dryer and dishwasher.
- Charge Electric Vehicles (EVs) at night after 10 p.m.
Orange and Red Alerts
These alerts will only be issued if ERCOT declares that grid reliability is at risk. During these alerts, it’s important to limit power usage and visit our website and social media for updates.
Thanks to Cam’s monocular vision, he has one eye on conservation and the other on helping you save money! Visit our website for conservation and money saving tips, being prepared for winter, learning about residential programs and rebates, and more.
As we head into the colder months, CPS Energy also reminds customers to keep natural gas safety in mind throughout the winter season. If you ever smell gas, which often has a rotten-egg odor, leave the area immediately and call 911 and CPS Energy at (210) 353-4357 (HELP).
Do not try to locate the leak yourself and avoid using anything that could create a spark, such as turning electrical switches on or off, using a flashlight or using a phone. Even a small spark from an electric device or static electricity could ignite a gas leak and cause an explosion. These steps help protect both you and your neighbors during colder weather. For additional safety tips and resources, visit cpsenergy.com/gassafety.
To stay informed all winter long, be sure to sign up for Energy Alerts and follow CPS Energy’s outage map and social media for updates. Customers can also utilize Manage My Account to view their energy usage and access more energy savings tips.
