Summer heat means increased use of air conditioners, and increased air conditioner use means increased strain on the electric grid.
Sarah Fellows with Nolin RECC says the typical peak hours for energy demand in the summer are from 3 to 7 p.m., but increased temperatures can change that.
“Home cooling systems are having to work overtime, and because home cooling systems are one of the biggest users of energy in our home, that results in a higher peak demand than normal,” Fellows says.
Fellows says there are several ways residents can help their electric provider “beat the peak.”
“Running appliances later in the evening, maybe setting them to run overnight, washing your dishes later, maybe not running a load of laundry as often and doing that after dark when the cooling system is not working quite so hard, and if possible raising the thermostat a few degrees,” Fellows says. “That can actually make a really big difference.”
More energy saving tips are available at www.nolinrecc.com.
