February's Cold Leads Consumers Energy to Gas Delivery Records, Keeping Michigan Safe, Warm During Polar Vortex 2

JACKSON, Mich., March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Record winter cold in February led to record natural gas usage by homes and businesses that Consumers Energy serves, in one case breaking a record that stood for two decades.

"Comerica Park in Detroit would need to be more than a half-mile tall to hold all of the natural gas we provided in just one 24-hour period last month," said Tim Sparks, Consumers Energy's vice president of energy supply operations. "We helped people keep their homes and businesses warm and safe during winter's worst onslaught, and we're continuing to upgrade and strengthen the performance of our natural gas system."

Consumers Energy set the following records last month:

• Most natural gas delivered in 24 hours, from 1 p.m. Feb. 19 to 1 p.m. Feb. 20. Temperatures fell to more than 20 degrees below zero across the state during that night. The previous record was set Jan. 18-19, 1994.
• Most natural gas delivered in an hour, from 7 to 8 a.m. Feb. 20. The previous record was set Jan. 7, 2014, during last year's Polar Vortex.

Natural gas usage by the 1.7 million homes and businesses Consumers Energy serves increased by 11 percent this year compared to February 2014. However, the rest of the winter has been milder than the 2013-14 winter, and overall natural gas usage is down 2 percent from a year ago.

"We have made hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades to our natural gas storage fields and 26,000 miles of pipelines to make sure we could meet people's needs even in a brutal winter like this one," Sparks said.

Consumers Energy wants Michigan residents to know that help is available for anyone concerned about bills after this extreme winter. People can learn about assistance in their communities by calling 2-1-1 around the clock, and Consumers Energy customers should call 800-477-5050 if they have questions or concerns about paying their bills.

It's also essential that everyone make safety a top priority throughout the rest of the heating season. Consumers Energy encourages anyone using space heaters, generators or other means of heating their homes to be sure to read all directions and exercise caution. Avoid leaving heating units unattended, ensure they are adequately ventilated and take all other appropriate safety measures.

Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.6 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

Media toolkit

HELP IS AVAILABLE: Consumers Energy offers ways to help people with bills: www.ConsumersEnergy.com/assistance

CALL: Call 2-1-1 to learn about available programs in your community, or call Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050 if you have problems paying your bill.

WALK TO HELP OTHERS: Consumers Energy employees have been taking part in more than 30 Walks for Warmth this winter, raising money to help with heating bills. The last walk will take place March 21 in Midland: www.ConsumersEnergy.com/walkforwarmth

For more information about Consumers Energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com.

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SOURCE Consumers Energy

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