Many in the Hill Country will rely on private supplies if the state power grid experiences trouble.
KENDALL COUNTY, Texas — The really cold temperatures are still days away but the phones are already ringing at Pico Propane and Fuels in Bergheim.
People are calling to make sure propane supply tanks for their homes are topped off and that any cylinders they may have are ready for service as well.
Chris Hill, who remembers the trauma many people suffered in 2021 when the Texas power grid experienced massive outages, said he is glad the company is already providing people peace of mind with ample supplies of fuel before the onset of really bad weather.
“After what we went through in 2021, you see a lot of people getting ahead of it that didn’t always do that in the past,” Hill said. “We learned a lot, obviously our power grid got strained and so the focus has moved to standby power generation, and we’ve got a lot of customers who put standby generators in since then.”
Customers are also using propane to cook and heat both living spaces and water,
Hill said if there’s another sustained outage, people who live in remote rural areas may need to be prepared to take care of their own needs for days.
“One of the lessons learned is when you get one of these weather events, electricity is delivered just in time, right? So if the lines go down or the grid goes down or they have to do brownouts, having this energy source sitting at your home or your business is a really big deal,” Hill said.
Hill added that they now have the technology to monitor large supply tanks at private homes and businesses remotely, which means the danger of running out of fuel is no longer a factor.
“We can see the tank levels and we can prepare in advance of when the extreme cold happens and so right now what we’re doing is getting ahead with some of those monitor filling opportunities,” Hill said, adding they are also topping off lots of cannisters at facilities around the region. “We will fill a lot of propane cylinders at our bottle dock here in Bergheim and at all of our locations. These propane cylinders could be for keeping pets safe, or could be for their livestock, you know, outdoor water and things like that.”
Hill said they will be open this weekend and he hopes people don’t wait until the last minute to stock up.
“Don’t wait because if you wait, the whole market is strained and all the propane suppliers are busy and so let’s get ahead of it,” Hill said.
In addition to preparing now, Hill said making sure every application used is safe is important.
“Obviously we’re burning a gas and the most important thing in our industry is to be safe,” Hill said, adding “All of our technicians are licensed and trained and the appliances that are certified to be put into a house are approved for that type application. When you cut corners or you put in the wrong product or you don’t do it by a licensed professional, it can be dangerous.”
The company’s website has a page devoted to safety tips.