'Just do your job': West Austin neighbors still without power grow frustrated
Austin (KXAN) — Homes in the west Austin neighborhood of Anderson Mills were still in the dark Friday night. Residents said they are frustrated that two years after the deep freeze of 2021, loss of power has them feeling an all too familiar chill.
A resident who asked only to be called 'Joe' has lived in his home on Perthshire Street for 12 years.
Since the 2021 freeze, he said the electrical connection to the home has been shaky. Losing power any time it freezes and even during heavy rain.
Friday night, his home and less than a handful of others were darkened without power from Austin Energy. This comes despite most neighboring houses having power restored.
Joe said he was disappointed that efforts to stop outages during freezes have not been improved.
“This is what twice in two years where we're just losing power? And the answer is all - we've let down the people of Austin, are our thoughts and prayers to you.' Just do your job," Joe said.
Friday afternoon, Austin Energy General Manager Jackie Sargent asked those who are still without power to help ease strain on the city's system.
"Customers currently without power can help us avoid cold weather pickup by turning off their thermostats, turning off or unplugging fixtures and appliances, and only leaving one light on to indicate when the power has come back on," Sargent said.
In her update, Sargent said that more than 400 crews were on the ground working to restore power.