Springfield City Utilities is asking customers to turn down the thermostat.
CU called and emailed customers Sunday night.
Natural gas prices have soared because of frozen natural gas wells.
Some customers are being asked to use alternate fuel sources.
CU is injecting some lines with air and propane.
Customers are asked to turn down their thermostats and avoid using natural gas fireplaces and electric heaters.
Here’s more from City Utilities:
Extreme weather conditions continue to create not only natural gas demand issues, but delivery issues for City Utilities and other utilities throughout the region.
City Utilities asked customers to consider conserving the use of natural gas and electricity because of reduced supply of natural gas for heating needs and electric generation.
City Utilities asked customers to reduce their use through Friday, February 19, 2021.
This request was provided to all electric and natural gas customers of City Utilities by phone, social media, and the assistance of media outlets.
Both of these requests are in response to natural gas supply delivery issues that City Utilities and the majority of utilities in the Midwest are experiencing.
It’s important to understand that it is not an issue caused by lack of supply or securing purchased, but rather a critical problem created by severe cold creating delivery problems from the natural gas wells in Texas and Oklahoma.
While much attention is being given to the current escalated market cost of natural gas, we want to remind our customers that CU purchases less than 25 percent of its natural gas supply from the market.
The majority of natural gas for City Utilities customers comes from fixed price contracts and storage, which is purchased off-season.
In preparation of this event, City Utilities has taken the following steps to lessen the impact to customers: CU has initiated a Natural Gas Curtailment agreement with several large commercial and industrial customers who have the ability to switch from natural gas to an alternate fuel source.
This option immediately redirects supply to residential and other commercial customers.
Additionally, City Utilities activated the Natural Gas Peak Shaving system which combines a supply of propane and air and is injected into the natural gas transmission system to assist with this peak demand.
This has been the first time this system has been used and was put in place for such an event.
