Representatives from TECO Peoples Gas are canvassing South Tampa neighborhoods, going door-to-door to identify and register natural gas generators — a direct response to widespread failures during the 2024 hurricane season that left some homeowners without backup power when they needed it most.
For South Tampa resident George Siegal, the back-to-back storms exposed the limits of a system he had invested in to protect his family. During Hurricane Helene, six feet of floodwater reached his mailbox — captured on his home security camera. When Hurricane Milton followed weeks later, his Generac generator failed entirely.
“So the generator would be on, we would turn the microwave on, or turn a ceiling fan on, it would die,” Siegal said.
The failure cascaded into a scramble for resources. “Then we would have to fight for gas with everybody else to try and get it started,” he said.
At the time of the 2024 storms, TECO Peoples Gas said it had visibility into only about 12% of generators connected to its system — leaving the utility with little understanding of actual demand during peak emergency use.
The company acknowledged that its natural gas infrastructure was not originally designed for the simultaneous, peak emergency demand triggered by widespread generator use during major weather events. When power outages are widespread, the simultaneous activation of generators can create temporary pressure constraints on shared pipelines — a demand problem, the company said, not a gas supply shortage.
Peoples Gas did not shut off gas supply ahead of either Hurricane Helene or Milton, a company spokesperson confirmed.
Following the storms, Peoples Gas launched an assessment of its South Tampa system and began encouraging customers to notify the utility of existing or planned generator installations. The company says that information helps it confirm proper equipment sizing, identify whether customers need different meters, regulators, or other system assets, and ensure adequate pressure to serve elevated loads.
System upgrades began in March 2025. Nearly 1,700 customers are currently being served by upgraded infrastructure, the company said.
Siegal, however, questioned why the utility needed a door-to-door campaign at all. “They should have known the whole time,” he said. “If you pull a permit, there is a record. They know everybody who has a generator. So, the fact that they say they have to go around and find out who has them, they already have that information, they’re just not using it.”
He remained cautious about the company’s assurances going forward. “They claim they’ve fixed the problem. They increased the gas pressure to everybody’s house,” Siegal said. “So, allegedly it would work now.”
Representatives from Peoples Gas and its partner Magnolia River are currently working in areas including Davis Islands and Palma Ceia. The company expects the survey work to be completed within the next month.
Customers with existing or planned generators can register at PeoplesGas.com/GeneratorInfo. TECO Peoples Gas advises residents to ask any representative visiting their home for to see their company badge; personnel will also carry company logos on hard hats, clothing, and vehicles. Questions can be directed to the company at (877) 832-6747.