Residents lined up at businesses to fill their gas tanks even though the price has steadily risen reaching an all time high of over $3 per gallon this past week.

Locally, Benita Byrd of T.W. Byrd and Sons Logging said they are taking it hour by hour as the price of diesel soars. Byrd said the availability is also in question.

Byrd Logging is one of the largest users of fuel in the county with 24 trucks and over 20 pieces of equipment used five to six days a week.

Conservation of gas is being urged in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Failure to conserve could result in rationing in the near future, say state officials.

The first stage in conserving gas is to ask the public to voluntarily conserve. The next stage could be rationing because the fuel supply lines have been broken during the storm.

Many of the bans on distribution and production of gas have been temporarily lifted by Homeland Security to deal with the national disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Florida’s municipal electric utilities have also issued an urgent request for all Floridians to conserve energy as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has begun to affect the state’s ability to produce electricity.

The flow of natural gas – used to produce approximately 34 percent of the state’s electricity – has been reduced by damage to production facilities and infrastructure in the Gulf Coast region.

“Florida is receiving about 70 percent of the natural gas it needs to produce electricity,” said Barry Moline, executive director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA). “Obviously, this sharp reduction in available energy could limit the electricity that can be produced and distributed to customers. That is why energy conservation is absolutely crucial.”

Utilities around the state are already moving to back-up fuel supplies, but those supplies are only designed to last for days, not weeks. Simple conservation measures will greatly help extend the effectiveness of those supplies. Here are some suggestions:

*Adjust thermostat settings for air conditioning to 78F degrees or higher, if health permits; keep temperature readings constant until notified that the energy shortage has passed.

*When you’re not going to be home for an extended period, raise the thermostat setting to 82 degrees or higher.

*Close curtains and blinds to help insulate homes and buildings against cooling loss.

*Avoid using room air conditioners; turn them off when you leave the room or home.

*Reduce use of all non-essential electric appliances. Run your dishwasher and wash and dry your laundry later in the evening.

*Turn off all non-essential lighting and electric appliances, such as pool pumps.

*Turn off lights when you leave a room or when they aren’t needed.

*Shower later in the evening or early in the morning.

*Leave refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.

*If someone in your home is dependent on electric powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, check backup facilities.

*Cook outdoors, use a microwave oven or small appliances like a toaster oven or electric skillet to avoid heating up the kitchen and adding moisture to the air. Microwaves use less than half the power of a conventional oven and cook food in about one-fourth the time.

About FMEA: The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) represents the unified interests of 33 public power communities across the state, which provide electricity to more than two million of Florida’s residential and business consumers. For more information, visit www.publicpower.com

http://www.publicpower.com.