Prepare for the Texas Summer
Houston-Area Cooling Centers
Reliant Energy has opened eight cooling centers to help residents beat the heat. They are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Acres Homes MSC, 6719 W. Montgomery Road
- Denver Harbor MSC, 6402 Market Street
- Fifth Ward MSC, 4014 Market Street
- Magnolia MSC, 7037 Capital Street
- Northeast MSC, 9720 Spaulding Street
- Southwest MSC, 6400 High Star Drive
- Sunnyside MSC, 4605 Wilmington Street
- West End MSC, 170 Heights Blvd.
For information on the centers or to schedule free rides to and from the centers, call 713-497-2711.
Cooling Systems Discounts Offered by Polar Products
Polar Products Inc. manufactures body cooling systems for persons with MS, providing targeted body cooling for the head, torso, back, neck, wrists, ankles, feet and legs, as well as cooling seats and pillows. Visit Polar Products online at www.MSolutions.org or call 1-800-763-8423 for information; mention that you were referred by the National MS Society to receive special pricing discounts.
Hurricane Season is June 1 - Nov. 30
Texans with multiple sclerosis should be prepared for hurricanes and other natural disasters that may strike with very little warning. Persons with MS, their families and attendants must consider matters of mobility, transportation, electric/electronic assistive devices and service animals that may make evacuation more difficult.
The Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) urges consumers to register for transportation assistance with the Texas 2-1-1 Information (see information below) and Referral Network, and inform your family, friends and neighbors in advance that you might need their assistance throughout hurricane season.
For preparedness tips, visit the Govenor's Divison of Emergency Management site.
Getting to Know 2-1-1
2-1-1 provides a voluntary year-round registry for people who need assistance and evactuation due to an approaching hurricane. To register, call 2-1-1 and select option 4.
2-1-1 will stop accepting registrations 72 hours before tropical storm force winds are projected to make landfall. If you register after that time, 2-1-1 will refer you to local Offices of Emergency Management (OEMs).
Once you register, your information is not removed from the database. People who registered last year may re-register this year if their information has changed.
Service pets will not be separated from their owners while in transit or at a shelter. Non-service pets may be crated during transit and may be kept in separate facilitites.
For additional information, visit 2-1-1 Texas online.
Build an Emergency Supply Kit
Keep emergency supplies available in your home, office and car, especially during hurricane season. You'll need non-perishable food, water and batteries, as well as cash, credit cards, copies of medical prescriptions and insurance documents. Don't forget products for babies, the elderly and special health care needs.
Be Prepared to Evacuate
When a storm is anywhere near the Gulf, be prepared to evacuate. Make your evacuation plans and gather your emergency supplies before a storm. When officials call for mandatory evacuation, top off your gas tank before you hit the road.
Prepare to leave early if you have special health care needs. It will take much longer to travel during a mandatory evacuation. Make your evacuation plans and learn your routes in advance; bring medical supplies with your emergency kit.
Read more tips and guidelines.
Stay Informed with Individual Notification
The Accessible Hazard Alert System (AHAS) addresses communication for anyone who is deaf, hard of hearing, blind or deaf blind. Deaf Link is gathering e-mail addresses and zip code information for AHAS Individual Notification, an emergency notification that can be sent to e-mail, pagers, cell phones with text capability and PDAs.
This alert system is in addition to alerts on television. You can register online.
For immediate assistance concerning your utility bills, consult the following:
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA)
Phone: 877-399-8939
TDHCA operates a toll-free energy assistance helpline. TDHCA can assist you in locating the billing assistance program agencies in your area, including summer utility assistance.
Texas Public Utility Commission
Phone: 888-782-8477
Offers information on low-income assistance programs, emergency disconnection rules and more.
211 - United Way
Phone: 211
You Can Weather the Rising Costs of Texas Seasons
Learn more about what you can do when the cost of staying cool in the summer or warm in the winter rises faster than your ability to pay (reprinted with permission from AARP-Texas).
Protections
In Texas, your electricity or gas heat cannot be turned off during a “weather emergency.” In the summer, a weather emergency occurs when the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory for any county in the service territory on any one of the previous two calendar days. A winter weather emergency is defined as a day when the previous day’s highest temperature did not exceed 32 degrees, and the temperature is predicted to remain at or below that level for the next 24 hours, according to the nearest National Weather Station for your county.
Payment Plans
If you're getting behind in payments, ask the utility company to help you. Suggest a payment plan that works for you. You'll need to pay your new bill and work on paying past due bills. Make sure you'll be able to afford the new payment plan; if you miss a payment, the total amount you owe will become due and it will be harder to prevent a shutoff.
Budget Billing
You can spread the high cooling costs of summer or heating costs of winter across the entire calendar year by signing up for budget billing: instead of paying more when you use more, you pay roughly the same amount every month. Anyone who is current on payments can ask for budget billing for electric service (also called levelized or average payments). Also ask your utility company if you can pick the day of the month that payments are due. Budget billing is not a discount program; it offers no savings or lower rates, but will make bill paying more manageable.
Shutoff Protections
Before your electricity can be shut off for non-payment at any time of the year, you must receive a shutoff notice. Retail electric providers must provide you with a written Disconnect Notice, mailed to you separately (or hand-delivered). You'll have at least 10 days from the notice's issue date to make payment arrangements. Procedures followed by gas utilities vary. If you're receiving help from an energy assistance provider and sufficient payment has been made, the provider can send a letter to your utility company to prevent your service from being shut off.
If turning off your electric service would make a medical condition (including MS) worse, you should submit a letter from your doctor to your utility company. This will delay any shutoff for up to 63 days, but you can re-apply. During that time, you're required to develop a payment plan with the company.
Procedures on disconnection and exemptions for critical-need customers vary for gas utilities and city-owned utilities. You are encouraged to contact these providers directly to avoid disconnection and make payment arrangements.
In Texas, the company that owns your electricity meter and that will disconnect your service is not the same company to whom you pay your bill. Showing your receipt for payment may not be enough to stop a scheduled disconnection.
Energy Assistance Grants
If your annual income is less than $11,963 for one person or $16,038 for a couple, or if you receive food stamps, Medicaid, TANF or SSI from the Health and Human Service Commission, you may be able to get up to $1,200 to help you pay for your immediate utility expenses. How much you will get depends on your total utility costs, your income and the size of your family. If you own your home, the money will be paid directly to your fuel supplier or utility company. If you are a renter and your utility costs are included in your rent, the money will be sent to you. To locate your local service provider and apply for assistance, call 877-399-8939.
Many electric, gas, and city-owned utilities offer assistance programs funded by voluntary contributions from customers. Contact your local utility to find out if additional assistance is offered.
Weatherization Assistance
You can lower energy bills by preventing heat and air conditioning from escaping through cracks and gaps around doors and windows. If your annual income is less than $11,963 for one or $16,038 for a couple, you can apply for assistance from the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). Priority is given to lowest income households and to those with residents who have disabilities or are elderly. This program will help you pay for energy-efficient measures, such as insulation, weather-stripping and emergency repair or replacements for your furnace. To locate the WAP service provider near you, call 1-888-606-8889. Renters and homeowners can also contact their gas electric companies for help in spending less on heat; ask for an energy audit to find places where heat is escaping.
Additional Resources
- Preparing for emergencies such as hurricanes, floods, fires, power outages and more
- Financial Assistance