The summer months can put a strain on anyone's electricity budget. Reliant is proud to offer a Beat the Heat program providing relief from the heat in Corpus Christi, Houston and North Texas.
Staying Cool at Home
Here are tips for staying cool at home this summer.
- Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke
- Pay attention to the temperature in your home
- Stay hydrated by drinking more water than usual
- Use cooling towels
- Take cool baths or showers
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which are dehydrating
- Have a loved one call to check on you throughout the day
- Ask your doctor how heat can affect any medications you're taking
- Limit outdoor activity
- Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing
Houston
Houston Health Department
Reliant's Beat the Heat portable air conditioner program assists eligible seniors, disabled individuals and families without means to cool their homes. Please call the Harris County Area Agency on Aging at 832-393-4301 to learn more.
Additionally, the city is encouraging people to go to local libraries to stay cool. To be notified when emergency cooling centers open, please register for AlertHouston notifications. You may also call 3-1-1, follow the City of Houston on Facebook, or check their news releases for updates and locations. If you have home cooling concerns, please call the Houston Health Department Eligibility Service Center at 832-393-4984.
Precinct2gether
Community centers are fully operational to provide a place to ensure seniors are not isolated. Water and hand fans will be distributed. You can learn more about the centers and their current operating hours here.
Additionally, homeowners in need of an A/C unit can call the Harris County Precinct 2 call center at 713-274-2222 for information about their air conditioner program.
Barrett Station Community Center
808 1/2 Magnolia Ave.
Crosby, TX 77532
281-328-4713
Bay Area Community Center
5002 East NASA Parkway
Seabrook, TX 77586
281-326-2955
Crosby Community Center
409 Hare Rd.
Crosby, TX 77532
281-462-0543
East Harris County Activity Center
7340 Spencer Hwy.
Pasadena, TX 77505
281-479-4232
Felix Baldree Community Center
13828 Corpus Christi St.
Houston, TX 77015
713-455-3660
JD Walker Community Center
7613 Wade Rd.
Baytown, TX 77521
281-426-3551
Martin Flukinger Community Center
16003 Lorenzo St.
Channelview, TX 77530
713-274-2132
Pep Mueller Activity Center
14750 Henry Rd.
Houston, TX 77060
713-274-7275
San Jacinto Community Center
604 Highland Woods Dr.
Highlands, TX 77562
281-843-3045
May Community Center
2100 Wolf Rd.
Huffman, TX 77336
713-274-2434
Corpus Christi
Reliant's Beat the Heat centers are fully operational. Curbside assistance is also available for people who prefer this option. Please contact the centers directly for curbside distribution information and information about our portable air conditioning program. If you are a Corpus Christi resident and need help paying your utility bill, please call the Nueces County Community Action Agency at 361-882-4193.
Broadmoor Park Senior Center
1651 Tarlton St.
Corpus Christi, TX 78415
361-888-7012
Oveal Williams Senior Center
1414 Martin Luther King Dr.
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
361-826-2305
Lindale Senior Center
3135 Swantner
Corpus Christi, TX 78404
361-826-2340
North Texas
For 11 years Reliant has supported the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center and the West Dallas Multipurpose Center’s Beat the Heat program in the city of Dallas. While the city wants to keep their residents safe, the centers are currently closed and evaluating how to provide heat relief for the summer of 2021.
Reliant is proud to sponsor The Salvation Army of North Texas’ summer cooling stations!
During the summer months, extreme heat can be life-threatening, especially for the 829,000 North Texans living in poverty and more than 216,000 individuals at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Reliant and The Salvation Army are proud to provide a place to cool off and rehydrate with locations in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis and Tarrant counties. The Salvation Army’s cooling stations will open when temperatures rise above 100 degrees for three days in a row, and they will remain open until Sept. 1 or later if needed.
Safety precautions: To ensure the well-being of all staff and visitors, each location is taking extra sanitizing measures and also enforcing the use of masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and social distancing. Cooling station areas will be sanitized and wiped down frequently and between uses. Additionally, staff and volunteers will be trained to spot signs of heat-related health issues so that emergency services can be called and/or implemented if needed.
The Salvation Army – Oak Cliff
1617 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75208
214-941-5911
The Salvation Army – Pleasant Grove
8341 Elam Rd.
Dallas, TX 75217
214-398-6619
Carr P. Collins Social Service Center
5302 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75235
214-424-7050
The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Irving
250 E. Grauwyler
Irving, TX 75061
972-438-6553
The Salvation Army – Garland
451 West Avenue D.
Garland, TX 75040
972-272-4531
The Salvation Army – Lewisville
206 W. Main Street
Lewisville, TX 75057
972-353-9400
The Salvation Army Social Services & Shelter
1508 East McKinney St.
Denton, TX 76209
940-566-3800
The Salvation Army of Ellis County
620 Farley St.
Waxahachie, TX 75165
972-937-7727
The Salvation Army – Plano
3528 E. 14th St.
Plano, TX 75074
972-423-8254
The Salvation Army – McKinney
600 Wilson Creek Pkwy.
McKinney, TX 75069
972-542-6694
J.E. & L.E. Mabee Social Service Center
1855 E. Lancaster Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76103
817-344-1800
The Salvation Army – Northside Community Center
3023 NW 24th St.
Fort Worth, TX 76164
817-624-3111
The Salvation Army – Arlington
712 W. Abram St.
Arlington, TX 76013
817-860-1836
If you would like to be notified when emergency cooling centers open, please register for notifications. You may also call 3-1-1, follow the City of Dallas on Facebook or check their news releases for updates and locations.
Community Assistance by Reliant Energy (CARE) Program
Reliant provides financial assistance to customers facing hardship to help pay their electricity bill through our CARE program. This initiative is made possible thanks to Reliant and customer contributions.
If you need help paying your electricity bill, call 2-1-1 or visit 211texas.org for agency assistance near you. If you don’t meet the federal guideline criteria, inform the 211 representative that you are a Reliant customer and would like information on agencies that have support from the Community Assistance from Reliant Energy (CARE) program. If you qualify, it may take up to 8 weeks to receive financial assistance.
Please note that 2-1-1 Texas does not administer funds directly. Assistance is issued at the discretion of our agency partners to eligible customers, and it may not cover your entire electricity bill. We’re proud to say that in true Texas spirit, Reliant has provided more than $12 million in statewide agency assistance since 2002.
To find CARE agencies or donate to the program, click here.