We’ve detected a problem with your browser settings.
It’s possible that you don't have javascript enabled in your browser. Please enable javascript in your browser settings to successfully view our site.

Snow accumulation can block vents and freeze natural gas meters

CenterPoint Energy reminds homeowners and businesses to keep meters and regulators clear of snow and ice

2019-02-27T06:00:00Z

Minneapolis – Feb. 27, 2019 – CenterPoint Energy would like to remind the public of important safety tips, which also help to prevent service interruption and ensure proper meter operation.

Snow and ice accumulation on or near the natural gas meter set and/ or on the roof above a meter can lead to potentially dangerous conditions, including natural gas buildup in homes and businesses and service disruptions.

Knowing how the gas meter operates and recognizing these warning signs can help prevent potential problems:

Regulators are designed to maintain a constant pressure, ensure safe delivery of natural gas and vent natural gas safely to the atmosphere.
Accumulations of snow and ice on the meter set can also cause the regulator to malfunction by blocking the vent and freezing the regulator, which can potentially lead to natural gas venting inside the home rather than outside.
Thawing snow or ice dams from rooftops above the meter should be kept clear to prevent ice from encasing the meter or chunks of ice falling on the meter causing potential damage.

Additionally, customers should maintain a path clear of snow or debris to provide easy access to the natural gas meter.

CenterPoint Energy would also like to remind the public of important winter natural gas safety tips:

Do not deposit snow piles on or near the meter.
Do not use a snow blower or shovel near the meter or attempt to remove ice from the meter yourself. You can use a broom to keep the snow cleared around and on top of the meter and piping.

Call 1-800-296-9815 if there is ice on the meter or one or more of the following conditions exist:

Meter is located below a downspout
Overhang or eave does not fully extend over the meter
Meter is located below a roof valley without a gutter
Meter is located below an exterior water spout

If you suspect a natural gas leak, leave the area immediately on foot and tell others to do the same.

Do not start or drive your car into or near a gas leak or vapor cloud
Do not use electric switches, telephones (including cell phones), or anything that could cause a spark
Once safely away from the area, call the CenterPoint Energy emergency gas leak hot line at 1-800-296-9815 and 911 to report the location and description of the leak and CenterPoint Energy will dispatch a trained service technician immediately

For more natural gas safety tips, visit the company's website at CenterPointEnergy.com/BeSafe.

Recent News

Centerpoint Energy’s expanded workforce remains prepared and ready to respond to potential severe weather across the Greater Houston area this evening and overnight

Emergency Operations Center remains activated ahead of tonight's forecasted storms

Frontline workers and contractors continue executing preparedness actions across the system and remain ready to support potential restoration efforts

HOUSTON – May 10, 2026 – CenterPoint Energy's Emergency Operations Center remains activated ahead of forecasted potentially severe weather across the Greater Houston area this evening and overnight into Monday morning. The company's expanded workforce of frontline employees and contractors stands prepared and ready to respond to any impacts to electric or natural gas service.

Thunderstorms are forecasted to impact parts of the Greater Houston area this evening and continue through the early morning hours of Monday. CenterPoint's Meteorology team continues to diligently monitor evolving forecasts and help optimize response plans throughout the weekend. Frontline workers and contractors will be responding overnight and restoring any outages that may occur.

“Our crews have remained on alert all weekend and continue to be ready to safely restore service if outages from weather occur. This evening and overnight into Monday, our teams will be out there responding and focusing on restoring service to the customers and communities we're privileged to serve," said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President of Special Response and Incident Commander. “We have been communicating all weekend and are committed to keeping our customers informed ahead of and during tonight's storms. We urge customers to register for Power Alert Service^® so that if outages from weather do occur, they can receive restoration updates directly via phone, text and email."

Prepared for Severe Weather: Key Actions
As part of its storm preparedness efforts, CenterPoint is taking the following actions:

Readying the company's workforce and resources: Preparing personnel to support potential restoration efforts.
Activating Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts, the company has proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center.
Monitoring severe weather 24/7: The Meteorology team continues to track weather forecast developments, and the company is updating response efforts as conditions evolve.
Coordinating with local officials: CenterPoint is reaching out to local officials and emergency management partners to provide updates on continued preparedness efforts.

What customers should do:

Sign up for Power Alert Service^®: Get outage updates and restoration times.
Track outages: Bookmark our new Outage Tracker (available in English & Spanish and mobile-friendly) to see outage information in your area.
Stay safe: Visit Ready.gov for storm safety tips.

Follow us: Real-time updates will be available on X and at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of March 31, 2026, the company owned approximately $47.8 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

CenterPoint Energy crews prepared and will be responding throughout the night to forecasted potentially severe storms across the Greater Houston area

Emergency Operations Center remains activated as weather is expected between midnight and early Monday morning

Frontline workers and contractors stand ready to restore customers if outages occur

HOUSTON – May 10, 2026 – CenterPoint Energy crews are ready and will be responding during the overnight hours as potentially severe weather is forecasted to move across the Greater Houston area between midnight and the early morning hours of Monday. The company's Emergency Operations Center remains activated, and frontline employees and contractors stand prepared to respond to any weather-related impacts to electric or natural gas service.

A broken line of thunderstorms is expected to impact parts of the Greater Houston area overnight, with the strongest activity forecast between midnight and 6 a.m. Monday. CenterPoint's Meteorology team continues to closely monitor evolving conditions and support response planning overnight. Crews and contractors will be positioned and responding as needed, focusing on safely restoring service if outages occur.

“We want our customers and communities to know that our crews stand ready and will be responding overnight as storms move through the area," said John Cornelius, CenterPoint's Vice President of Distribution Operations and Incident Commander. “Our teams will be out through the night, closely tracking conditions and responding to any outages as the weather passes through the area, so we can restore service safely and as quickly as possible. We remain focused on keeping our customers informed before and during these overnight storms."

Prepared for Overnight Severe Weather: Key Actions

As part of its ongoing storm preparedness efforts, CenterPoint is taking the following actions:

Maintaining an expanded workforce: Frontline workers and contractors are prepared to respond overnight and support potential restoration efforts.
Emergency Operations Center activated: The EOC remains activated to coordinate overnight storm response efforts.
Monitoring weather conditions 24/7: The Meteorology team continues tracking forecast developments and supporting real-time response adjustments.
Coordinating with local officials: The company remains in communication with local officials and emergency management partners as weather moves through the region.

What customers should do

Sign up for Power Alert Service^®: Receive outage and restoration updates by phone, text or email.
Track outages: Bookmark the Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish and optimized for mobile devices.
Stay safe: Visit Ready.gov for storm safety tips.
Follow us: Overnight updates will be shared on X and at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter

CenterPoint Energy activates Emergency Operations Center ahead of forecasted severe weather across the Greater Houston area this afternoon and through the weekend

Company continues monitoring forecasts and preparing for three days of potential strong thunderstorms, with heavy rain, flooding and strong winds of 40 - 50 mph

More than 1,600 personnel ready to respond and support potential restoration efforts

HOUSTON – May 8, 2026 – With potentially severe weather forecasted to impact the Greater Houston area starting this afternoon and continuing through Saturday and Sunday night, CenterPoint Energy has proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center. More than 1,600 frontline employees and contractors are prepared to respond, as the company continues to closely monitor forecasts, coordinate with emergency management partners and position resources to support safe and timely response to any potential impacts to electric and natural gas service.

Thunderstorms are forecasted to impact parts of the Greater Houston area mainly north of I-10 starting this afternoon and continuing through the evening and into Saturday morning. Weather models also show potential rounds of stronger thunderstorms on Saturday evening and overnight Sunday night into Monday morning. CenterPoint's Meteorology team continues to diligently monitor evolving forecasts and help optimize response plans throughout the weekend.

“Our crews are prepared to respond to any impacts to our system. If any outages from weather occur, our crews will be out inspecting damage and restoring customers as soon as it's safe to do so" said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President of Special Response and Incident Commander. “We've been actively monitoring forecasts all week and have activated our Emergency Operations Center to coordinate resources and continue tracking weather models and adjusting response plans as needed. We urge customers to stay aware of evolving weather conditions and have a plan to stay safe."

Prepared for Severe Weather: Key Actions
As part of its storm preparedness efforts, CenterPoint is taking the following actions:

Readying the company's workforce and resources: Preparing more than 1,600 personnel to support potential restoration efforts.
Activating Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts, the company has proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center.
Monitoring severe weather 24/7: The Meteorology team continues to track weather forecast developments, and the company is updating response efforts as conditions evolve.
Coordinating with local officials: CenterPoint is reaching out to local officials and emergency management partners to provide updates on continued preparedness efforts.

What customers should do:

Sign up for Power Alert Service^®: Get outage updates and restoration times.
Track outages: Bookmark the Outage Tracker (available in English & Spanish and mobile-friendly) to see outage information in your area.
Stay safe: Visit Ready.gov for storm safety tips.

Follow us: Real-time updates will be available on X and at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of March 31, 2026, the company owned approximately $47.8 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

CenterPoint Energy joins local hurricane season preparedness events in Fort Bend and Montgomery Counties to continue strengthening community resiliency across the Greater Houston area

As part of Hurricane Preparedness Week, CenterPoint will be sharing how the company is preparing for hurricane season and extreme weather events as well as important safety tips, preparedness resources and customer tools at disaster and emergency preparedness events

HOUSTON — May 8, 2026 — The first week of May is National Hurricane Preparedness Week, and CenterPoint Energy is teaming up with community organizations, emergency response agencies and public officials for disaster and emergency preparedness events across the Greater Houston area this weekend. These free events will feature giveaways, safety demonstrations and resources to help customers make a plan and prepare ahead of Atlantic hurricane season, which officially starts on June 1.

“With the 2026 hurricane season arriving soon, we want our customers and communities to know that CenterPoint has a plan in place to address extreme weather events and that everyday our frontline teams are working hard to harden our electric infrastructure with more storm-resilient poles, more miles of higher risk vegetation removed, and more automation to help us restore customer outages quicker. As we all continue preparing for the 2026 hurricane season and the rest of the year, CenterPoint is proud to join these critical preparedness events alongside our emergency management partners and community organizations, reinforcing our shared focus on safety, readiness and protecting the communities we are privileged to serve." said Keith Stephens, CenterPoint's Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer.

Community members are encouraged to attend these free preparedness events to learn more about how CenterPoint Energy prepares for hurricane season, what customers can expect before, during and after a storm, and the safety tools and resources available to support readiness at home. CenterPoint team members will be on site to share information, answer questions and provide guidance on planning ahead for extreme weather.

Throughout the summer, CenterPoint Energy will continue participating in hurricane and emergency preparedness events across other parts of the Greater Houston area as part of its ongoing commitment to strengthening community resiliency ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season.

For more information about upcoming events, hurricane preparedness tips, and CenterPoint's storm response efforts, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter.

Montgomery County Disaster Preparedness Expo

When:	Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Where:	Lone Star Convention & Expo Center 9055 Airport Rd., Conroe, TX 77303
Learn more:	1^st Annual Montgomery County Disaster Preparedness Expo

2026 Ready Fort Bend EXPO

When:	Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Where:	Fort Bend County Fairgrounds 4310 Texas 36 #S Rosenberg, TX 77471
Learn more:	2026 Ready Fort Bend EXPO

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

As the only investor owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of March 31, 2026, the company owned approximately $47.8 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years.

In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, CenterPoint Energy’s Foundation launches signature grant opportunity to enhance veteran resilience

HOUSTON — May 6, 2026 — In celebration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States of America, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation is launching a new and unique grant opportunity to support nonprofit organizations that serve and focus on our U.S veterans in CenterPoint Energy's four state service area in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas.

Through this special grant opportunity, the Foundation plans to invest up to $250,000 in the states the company serves, with individual grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. Grants will be awarded to eligible nonprofit organizations with a primary location within CenterPoint's service areas and whose programs support veterans and individuals connected to the military.

“As our nation approaches its 250th anniversary, this grant opportunity reflects our deep respect for the men and women who serve and have served, and our privilege to support them beyond their time in uniform," said Jason Ryan, Executive Vice President, Regulatory Services and Government Affairs at CenterPoint and United States Navy veteran.

“We see the value every day of our veteran workforce. We have more than 700 employees who once served in uniform and who are today working to deliver safe and reliable energy services to nearly 7 million customers. Through the CenterPoint Energy Foundation, we appreciate being able to give back to veterans by supporting nonprofit organizations that provide critical resources for mental health, housing stability and everyday needs. It's an honor to invest in programs that help veterans and their families thrive in the communities we are proud to serve," Ryan added.

Grant funding will focus on nonprofit programs working to strengthen veteran resilience through:

Mental health and peer support services.
Transitional and stable housing assistance.
Daily living support, including transportation, benefits navigation and basic needs.

Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation strives to be a catalyst for good by leveraging everyday opportunities and resources to strengthen communities. This grant opportunity for veteran-serving organizations expands on the Foundation's two main strategic giving areas of community vitality and education to help address critical challenges facing veterans and their families.

CenterPoint employs more than 700 veterans across its four-state service area, who continue their commitment to service by strengthening the communities where they live and work by helping provide vital electric and natural gas service.

In 2025, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded more than $15 million to support nonprofit organizations focused on increasing community vitality and investing in education.

To learn more about this program and to apply for a grant, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Community.

About the CenterPoint Energy Foundation
The CenterPoint Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where CenterPoint Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by shareholders and has no impact on customer rates. More information about the Foundation can be found at CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of December 31, 2025, the company owned approximately $46.5 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years.