Cold weather has caused surging demand for natural gas in Southcentral recently and problems for the region’s gas utility, Enstar. The Northern Journal reports that, as the cold in mid-January prompted gas-burning furnaces across the region to run more frequently, Enstar experienced an equipment failure that caused it to reduce output from a gas storage reservoir. And that created questions around whether Enstar would have to take special measures to meet the increased demand, including the possibility that customers would be asked to turn down their thermostats.