Winter Storm Preparation

​When the National Weather Service  forecasts several inches of snow and frigid temperatures, you can take these steps now to prepare for the storm and use energy wisely. This will help ensure reliable power supply for the area and help lower your bill.

Before the storm 

• Create an emergency kit with water, food, first-aid supplies and more. 
• Create/update an emergency plan with current emergency contact information. 
• Stay informed by following Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) on Facebook and Twitter. 
• If you do experience an outage, report and track it on their outage map.
  
• You can also call   Colorado Springs Utilities ​(719) 448-4800 to report an outage. 

Act now to save later  

• Set your thermostat no higher than 68 degrees. Turn it down a few more degrees when sleeping or away from your home for more than eight hours.  
• Check your furnace filter, replace if dirty. A clean filter allows your furnace to run more efficiently.  
• Cover drafty windows with plastic film or use insulated drapes or shades. 
• Refrain from using large appliances like washers and dishwashers unless necessary on extra cold days. When needed, only wash full loads and use the cold setting on your clothes washer. 
• Open blinds on all south-facing windows to let the sun naturally heat your home. 
• Turn off lights and electronics when not in use.
• Leave your faucet dripping and open cabinet doors around plumbing to allow warm air in and protect pipes from freezing.  

 Learn more at the CSU storm center at https://www.csu.org/Pages/StormCenter.aspx