SCE Urges Care With Energy Use During Heat Wave

With blazing temperatures forecast for the Monrovia area during the next few days, Southern California Edison is asking people to conserve energy when they can, and particularly between 2-6 p.m. - the hours of peak energy use. This will lessen strains on power supplies and the possibility of outages.

The California Independent System Operator believes electricity consumption during the heat wave could exceed the summer's previous peak of 44,200 megawatts on July 30.

"We anticipate having an adequate supply of electricity," said Paul Grigaux, SCE's vice president of Transmission, Substations and Operations. "However, with more energy likely being used in the evenings, especially air conditioning, the extra demand can strain SCE's equipment when it's not given the opportunity to cool off."

Tips:

- Use electric fans instead of air conditioning when practical.

- Turn off unused appliances and equipment.

- Avoid using air-conditioner when evaporative coolers or humidifiers are running.

- Avoid using energy-intensive appliances during early morning or evening hours.

- Limit how often you open your refrigerator door.

Source: SCE press release

- Brad Haugaard