United Cooperative Services issues warning

CLEBURNE –An overnight wintry mix of rain, sleet and potential snow has been forecasted to affect the area of North Texas served by United Cooperative Services. Sleet accumulations could reach as much as a half-inch with locally higher amounts to one inch through Monday. Temperatures will fall to below freezing late Sunday evening and into the Upper 20s Sunday night. Temperatures on Monday will remain in the 20s. Two main impacts this weather will have on United’s membership include:

1. Icy conditions could cause outages and create unfortunate delays in response time as United’s line crews navigate the treacherous road conditions as safely as possible;
2. The sustained cold weather over the next 48 to 72 hours will drive energy use higher as heating units work overtime to reach desired thermostat settings.

United emphasizes the need for members and the general public to avoid any downed power lines. If a power line or utility pole is down, stay clear and call United or local emergency crews. Additionally, manage energy use wisely. Heating and cooling are responsible for the largest part of a typical electric bill because weather is the number one driver of energy consumption. Regardless of whether someone is at home or away during the day, weather dictates energy consumption. Even if a thermostat setting is lowered to 60 degrees, when it’s 30, 40 or even 50 degrees outside, it’s going to affect the ambient air in a home and trigger the heater to turn on.During a loss of electricity, members of United Cooperative Services should call their area office and report the outage:

• Cleburne                      817-556-4000
• Stephenville                254-965-3153
• Burleson                      817-447-9292
• Granbury                     817-326-5232
• Meridian                      254-435-2832
• Possum Kingdom        940-779-2985