With a heat advisory in place for much of Connecticut through Friday and heat indexes in some parts of the state expected to soar into the low-100s later this week, Norwich Public Utilities is urging its customers to conserve energy over the next few days.
NPU issued a power alert Tuesday, saying it expects to see “very high demand” for electricity this week and asking its customers to “use electricity wisely in the days ahead.”
The utility said it is encouraging its customers to voluntarily conserve electricity for two reasons: to reduce energy costs and to reduce the strain on NPU’s critical infrastructure.
“By using less energy – carefully – we’ll experience less impact on our equipment which helps with our reliability,” said Chris LaRose, NPU’s general manager. “At the same time, they’ll also save on their next bill.”
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NPU offered several tips for conserving electricity:
- Only use window air conditioner units when someone is home
- Set central air conditioning systems to 72 degrees or higher
- Consider waiting until after 8 p.m. to use major appliances like dishwashers or clothes dryer
- Minimize the use of appliances and devices that generate heat – computers, curling irons, hairdryers and televisions, for example – before 8 p.m.
- Avoid using the oven to cook and instead consider cooking using a stove, microwave or outdoor grill
- Install energy-efficient lighting, which runs much cooler than traditional lighting
- Use window coverings to keep the sun out and minimize the amount of heat coming into your home
