Coast Electric concerns

This morning’s low temperatures and frigid conditions drove up concerns for some electric companies as they closely monitored the use of electricity in our area, hoping their systems would not suffer an overload. Coast electric experienced a critical shortage of electricity today.
Resident James Hagadorn said, “I came out this morning and I noticed the ice and snow on the ground and I said ‘man, what the heck is this?”
It was the start of a day filled with delays for Gulfport resident James Hagadorn. He, like many other South Mississippians, woke up to find snow on the ground and windshields coated in ice. Plans to pay his electric bill were delayed Wednesday morning when he went to get warm water to pour on and de-ice his truck’s windshield. “This morning, I guess, the pipes were iced up and I said, ‘oh well, that’s not going to work.’”
Meanwhile, electric companies, including Coast Electric and Singing River Electric, were urging residents to use as little power as possible in the first half of the day. April Lollar with Coast Electric said, “Coast Electric gets our power from our generator and transmission cooperate Cooperative Energy in Hattiesburg. They’re part of a larger system that covers the southeast region of the U.S. so it was really a regional issue this morning.”
Coast Electric officials say heating takes up about 40 percent of the electric bill this time of the year. Even if you follow energy saving tips, you can expect your bill to be higher than usual. “When your heater is trying to make up the difference between the outside and inside temperatures, when you’re trying to make up that temperature difference, it means you heater is working overtime so bills are going to be high,” said Lollar.
Things thawed out by the day’s end and many Coast residents enjoyed a day off from work or school from the warm confines of their homes.