Monday’s Heat, Humidity Push Electricity Demand

Soaring temperatures and humidity levels pushed O&R’s electric demand peak Monday to 1,469 megawatts at 5 p.m. Although short of the all-time highest demand day in O&R history, it triggered the company to change its operating status from a Heat Watch to a Heat Alert. The day of greatest demand for electricity was August 2, 2006 when the company recorded 1,617 megawatts of demand.

O&R appealed to customers to use air conditioning and other electrical appliances wisely during the course of the week as the high levels of heat and humidity are expected to continue. O&R expects to maintain its Heat Alert through the week.

A Heat Alert is declared if the electric demand is predicted to peak over 1,500 megawatts for the day or if the heat index is forecasted to reach over 100 degrees for two days or more. Monday’s Heat Alert was triggered by the heat index forecast.      

To conserve electricity customers are asked to reduce air conditioning use by turning it off when leaving the house and closing doors when running room air conditioners and blocking vents in unused or vacant rooms in homes with central air conditioning.

O&R field crews focused on emergency work, with scheduled work being performed as system conditions permitted. Extra crews were to be deployed Monday evening. Engineers and system operators will closely monitor the loads on distribution circuits, transformer banks and other key system components to detect any heat-related issues early so that any concerns are addressed before they escalate.

Spot checks will be made of potentially high-load circuits, and transformers will be pre-loaded on trucks at O&R operations centers to expedite their placement in the field if needed. O&R also will institute load reduction measures at its own facilities.

The utility released a list of the 10 days of greatest electric demand.

1.  8/2/06 with 1,617 MW at 5 p.m.

2. 7/22/11 with 1,599 MW at 4 p.m.

3.  8/03/06 with 1,588 MW at 4 p.m.

4.  8/1/06 with 1,586 MW at 5 p.m.

5.  7/6/10 with 1,572 MW at 5 p.m.

6.  7/7/10 with 1,558 MW at 5 p.m.

7.  7/21/11 with 1,540 MW at 5 p.m.

8.  7/27/05 with 1,539 MW at 5 p.m.

9.   6/10/08 with 1,530 MW at 5 P.M. 

10.  7/18/06 with 1,528 MW at 4 p.m.

Tips to help conserve energy.

* Set the thermostat of your central air conditioner at 78 degrees F or higher to achieve maximum savings on cooling costs.  Setting the room temperature on the air conditioner at 75 degrees costs about 15 percent more. A 72-degree setting costs about 30 percent more than the 78-degree setting.

* Install a timer or clock thermostat on your air conditioner so you can program it to operate and shut-off at pre-determined hours to avoid running the air conditioning all day in an empty house.

* If you have a room air-conditioning unit, close off the rooms not being used; if you have central air, block off the vents for unused rooms.

* Plan cooking, baking or other household activities that produce heat and humidity for the cooler times of the day and night.

* Use a portable or ceiling fan to circulate the pre-cooled air in your air-conditioned home. A fan uses about 90 percent less energy than an air conditioner.

* In very humid weather, adjust your air conditioner’s fan to a low setting. It will take longer for the air conditioner to cool your home, but your unit will bring in steamy air at a slower rate and make you feel more comfortable.

* As the sun moves from east to west during the day, close curtains and shades on windows to block out the heat.

The refrigerator is one of the highest energy-using appliances in the typical home:

* Cover liquid items. They give off humidity that forces the refrigerator to use more energy.

* Place the most used items in one place so that the door will be open for a shorter period of time.

If you experience problems with your electric service, call O&R at 1-877-434-4100. For more energy tips, visit www.oru.com.