According Sierra Pacific Power, cold temperatures and customer growth are driving Reno’s boom in natural gas consumption.  The utility has had no problems meeting the demand of its nearly one hundred and fifty thousand customers as overnight temperatures have dropped into the teens.  But Sierra Pacific’s  Larry Rackey says consumers need to be thermostat aware.

 Our recommendation is 68 degrees in the daytime when somebody is home … and lowered down to 58 … actually down to 55 if you can … when you are retired for the evening or at home in the evening and don’t need so much heat.
 

Sierra Pacific added as many as nine thousand, mostly residential, gas customers over the past two years.  And a 2005 upgrade in the regional distribution system has helped meet this week’s record setting surge in demand.  Cold temperatures are predicted through the end of the week. 

Brian Bahouth KXJZ News.