CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – In the event of winter weather, Horry Electric Cooperative has extra staff on hand to respond to any possible problems like power outages or heating issues.Eddy Blackburn with Horry Electric said they serve about 70,000 people in Horry County and the Horry Electric staff were in meetings all day on Tuesday making sure they are as prepared as possible to handle the weather. He said they always have crews on standby, but for the winter weather, they have increased the number of people on call. “We are well-prepared for this type of situation,” said Blackburn. “Trucks are gassed, and we have supervisors, crew court, everyone is on standby and well-aware.”When it comes to heating your home during cold temperatures, Blackburn said Horry Electric has a load control system in place to avoid a system shutdown, but he said this is a time where homeowners can easily spend three or four times more on your home energy bill if you keep the thermostat too high.“Dress appropriately and wear an extra layer of clothes,” said Blackburn. “The lower you turn the thermostat, it’s approximately four to five percent savings per degree.” He said they receive mobile alerts when there are power outages, so crews will be monitoring their systems over the next few days. If you need to report a power outage, you can call 843.369.2212.Horry Electric said many outages during winter weather come from people driving and hitting power poles, so they suggest staying off the roads if possible.