North Texas reached 100 degrees for the first time in 2022 Saturday, reaching triple digits about three weeks earlier than normal. Dallas County and Reliant Energy have opened two "cooling centers"; the two have partnered on the centers for 13 years.
"Beat the Heat" centers are located at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center at 2922 MLK Boulevard and the West Dallas Multipurpose Center at 2828 Fish Trap Road.
"Fluctuations in electricity bills, often during periods of high use and extreme weather, can make it tough to manage a monthly budget," said Reliant's Suzie Dieth.
Dieth said the centers can give people a place to stay cool, participate in community activities and get something to eat. City Councilman Omar Narvaez said kids and the elderly are most at risk from the heat, so the community centers can offer a safe place during the hottest hours of the day.
"You've got to check on your neighbors, especially those in our community who are at higher ages," Narvaez said.
"It is so important," said Dallas County health Director Phil Huang. "It's a public health issue with the heat we've been seeing. It can really be extremely serious."
Huang urges low-income residents of Dallas County to sign up for available programs. He said people can sign up for a weatherization program here or receive window air conditioning units or evaporative cooling units here. Residents' household income must be less than 150% of federal poverty guidelines to participate.
"Beating the heat is extremely important, especially for our seniors and those who have small children in their households," Narvaez said. "Two nights ago, we got a call in my office from a West Dallas resident whose air conditioning unit broke down. Because of the swift work between our different organizations, literally within an hour and a half, we were able to get that resident's air conditioning unit fixed and her and her child back to having cool air they didn't have the entire weekend. She didn't know how to reach out or whom to talk to."
Dieth said people can also call 211 or visit 211texas.org if they need help paying electric bills.
"We know seasonal spikes in bills can be difficult to manage," Dieth said. "We encourage our customers to reach out to us directly, whether it's payment extensions, average monthly billing or payment assistance through our 'CARE' program."
Details about Reliant's CARE program are available here.
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