  The mean value of the one-loop energy-momentum tensor in thermal QED with
electric-like background that creates particles from vacuum is calculated. The
problem differes essentially from calculations of effective actions (similar to
that of Heisenberg--Euler) in backgrounds that do not violate the stability of
vacuum. The role of a constant electric background in the violation of both the
stability of vacuum and the thermal character of particle distribution is
investigated. Restrictions on the electric field and its duration under which
one can neglect the back-reaction of created particles are established.
