NORWICH, Conn. — As temperatures rise over the next few days, some utility companies have asked customers to conserve power to avoid outages during this heat wave.
Norwich Public Utilities issued an alert to customers saying conserving energy could help reduce the strain on the power grid and to help save money on their future bills.
As temperatures soar into the upper 90’s for the next few days, bringing a high demand for electricity, NPU wants to avoid power outages during the heat of the day.
“It’s the wear and tear on our system, transformers, poles, wires, distribution lines, transmission lines, all of them are working very, very hard to bring electricity to folks. And over the course of three or four days, it's going to create issues if it doesn't get a chance to cool down and rest for lack of a better term overnight. That's why we're asking people to decrease their use a bit, because it'll help with us trying to maintain a reliable system,” said Chris Riley, a spokesperson for Norwich Public Utilities.
While NPU doesn’t expect any outages, Riley said their team is ready to respond quickly.
“We're getting all of our equipment material and people in place in case we have an emergency. It's no different than if a big storm is coming our way, and then its responding quickly and effectively should we run into an emergency, but fortunately today we haven't had any outages, things are going very smoothly, and it's just a matter of monitoring things over the course of the next 24 to 72 hours,” said Riley.
While Eversource has not explicitly asked customers to conserve power due to grid concerns, they said they are monitoring things constantly.
“Part of our preparations for this heat wave include ground and aerial inspections of the electrical system. That way we can proactively detect or address any issues that may come up, and we also have remote system operators. So, they're always watching the system and they're able to actually remotely reroute power or shift around resources as necessary,” said Sarah Paduano, spokesperson for Eversource.
Riley said conserving energy during this heatwave not only helps with the grid, but it can also help your wallet with future bills.
“When we purchase power, it's based on our peak demand days during the course of the year. So, if we can keep that peak lower, it's going to help us save money for our customers, “ said Riley.
Here's some ways you can conserve energy while staying cool.
- Only run a window unit when someone is home; NPU recommends setting a central AC system to 72 degrees or higher.
- Consider waiting until after 8:00 pm to use major appliances like a dishwasher or clothes dryer.
- Minimize the use of appliances or devices that generate heat before 8:00 pm – computers, curling irons, hairdryers, and televisions can all add to the heat in your home.
- Avoid using the oven to cook and consider using a stove, microwave, or grilling outside.
- Install energy-efficient lighting that runs much cooler than traditional lighting. Only about 10-15% of the electricity that incandescent lights use results in light – the rest is turned to heat.
- Keep the sun out of your home by installing window coverings to minimize the heat coming into a home or business.
Jake Garcia is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jgarcia@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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