HOUSTON – Power outages are a big concern for many residents when severe weather strikes, especially if you have a medical condition.
According to the Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel, most utility companies keep a list of critical care and chronic condition consumers.
Being on this list does not guarantee your power will be restored immediately, but emergency services workers can access this list to see who may need immediate attention.
If you have a medical condition that requires electric hospital beds, wheelchairs, oxygen and refrigerators for special medication.
You probably land under one of these two statuses:
Critical care
-for consumers who are on life support equipment.
Chronic condition
-for consumers whose illness could become complicated with air conditioning
- or need electricity for medical equipment.
How do you get it?
Contact your energy provider and have them send your the paperwork you and your doctor need to fill out.
It probably won't help you with this storm under such short notice but it's still good for a year or two, so don't wait until the next storm.
If you think you already have this status, contact your energy retailer (that’s who your bill comes from), and make sure you’re up to date on the renewal.
Many outage situations involve a large number of homes and people, it may take an extended amount of time for utility or emergency services workers to get to your area.
If losing power means a life or death situation for you, it’s best to evacuate.