Between January 1 and January 7, new low-temperature records were set in Tideland territory on all but one day. That led to a new electric system record when Tideland’s demand peaked at 120.2 megawatts the morning of Sunday, January 7, as temperatures fell to 5°F. The previous record of 115.9 megawatts had held since February 20, 2015. Likewise, kilowatt-hour sales soared, surpassing any other seven-day period in Tideland history, with co-op members using 11.4 million kilowatt hours.

As the magazine went to press on January 10, a warming trend was finally underway, but it may not have been soon enough to avert historically high electric bills. Of further concern is the fact that the polar plunge occurred so early in the heating season. Many members will have exhausted home heating assistance funds long before spring arrives.

If winter electric bills create a hardship for you, please don’t wait until disconnect day to reach out to us. In some cases we can offer payment arrangements. Others we can convert to FlexPay. What we want to avoid at all costs are non-payment disconnects and the requisite fees that must be paid to reestablish service. We’re here 24-hours a day so don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-637-1079.