News
Power Company Asking Customers To Conserve Electricity
By: Atish Baidya
Posted on:
AEP Ohio crews are working to restore power to several hundred customers on a day when utility companies across 13 states are asking their customers to conserve electricity.
According to a spokesman for AEP Ohio, 613 customers in the McArthur area are without power. The outage was reported at 7:24 a.m. Tuesday. Power is expected to be restored around 10: 30 a.m.
AEP also said 144 customers in the Oak Hill area in Jackson County were without power as of 9:20 a.m. Crews don’t have an estimated restoration time as of this posting.
In a news release the company urged customers to conserve electricity this week due to the extreme cold. AEP says the electricity grid operator PJM Interconnection sent the request to conserve to its member utilities across 13 states and the District of Columbia. PJM Interconnection provides electricity to more than 61 million people.
AEP Ohio says the weather could push demand to record-breaking levels, straining the power grid. AEP is asking customers to conserve electricity between 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday evening.
Tips to conserve power include:
-Set thermostats as low as appropriate to maintain health and comfort.
-Postpone using major electric appliances such as stoves, dishwashers, clothes dryers until mid-day or after 9 p.m.
-Turn off lights and appliances you do not need or are not using.
-Keep doors and windows closed as much as possible.
-Seal off unheated, unused rooms.
-Open curtains on the sunny side of the house to warm up your home.
-Close curtains on the shade side of the house to keep warm air in.
-Cover hot water pipes with an insulating jacket and set the water heater between 120 and 130 degrees.