December 2021 was the hottest December in Texas since at least 1889, State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon told CBS News DFW.

Unfortunately, cases of people trying to find creative ways to stay warm during the winter, such as leaving a gas oven open or bringing a grill inside, often lead to death or serious injury.

Texas is known for sweltering hot summers, but January and February can also be downright frigid so Members can expect high electric bills too.

Whether it's buying energy ahead of time, training our operations crews or winterizing the fleet, CoServ starts preparing for cold weather long before the local television meteorologists issue their forecasts.

CoServ has nine Employees who have been working for the cooperative for more than 40 years. According to President and CEO Donnie Clary, it’s a testament to the amazing culture and duty that is instilled not just by the company but by the Employees themselves.

This month, CoServ donated 179 heaters and 124 blankets to seven community partners. Clients already come to these groups seeking assistance with food, utilities, rent or mortgage so the free blankets and heaters are a bonus.

For more than 11 years, CoServ has used POWERrace to teach students as early as fourth grade about electrical currents and how to manage a cooperative. The game board features numerous hand painted structures and businesses, including a sports stadium, church, hospital, and fast-food restaurant. To win, teams must route power via spools of colored lines to the most buildings while managing their money wisely.

The average low temperature for November was 46.3 degrees. That’s 2.7 degrees cooler than last year. Just a few degrees difference led to a 44 percent increase in heating degree days, the metric used to calculate how much homeowners use their heater.

More than two dozen North Texas children and seniors will receive presents this Christmas thanks to the generosity of CoServ Employees and their families.

“CoServ has heard Members’ concerns about higher electric bills loud and clear,” said CoServ Director of Customer Care Stephen Meers. “We always strive to keep prices low and we never mark up wholesale electricity for profit – that’s not how CoServ does business.”