Nov. 13, 2014, AUSTIN, TX – As the season’s first cold snap sweeps across Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reminds consumers that access to real-time electric grid and market conditions is as close as most mobile devices.

The free ERCOT Energy Saver mobile app, which is available for Apple and Android devices, was updated recently to improve access to information about electricity demand, generation and available reserves, updated in five-minute intervals.

“We appreciate the growing interest in the electric grid that handles about 90 percent of the electricity used in Texas, and we are pleased to continue improving this mobile app and other communication tools to help keep consumers informed,” said ERCOT Corporate Communications Director Theresa Gage.

The app also continues to offer wholesale prices for each load zone and other information about ERCOT, the grid and the competitive electric market, along with access to push notifications at the subscribers’ discretion. The app also includes access to ERCOT news releases and conservation tips.

“We strongly encourage subscribers to accept push notifications so we can let you know quickly in case of a systemwide emergency or another issue of widespread interest,” Gage said. “Our app even enables subscribers to share some information directly with their own social media network.”

To access or update your free app, search for ERCOT Energy Saver in the App Store/iTunes (for iPhones and iPads) or the Google Play store (for all Android devices).

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The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to nearly 24 million Texas customers — representing about 90 percent of the state’s electric load. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 43,000 miles of transmission lines and 550 generation units. ERCOT also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for 6.7 million premises in competitive choice areas. ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature.