California is seeing record high temperatures at the end of this week and the state's grid operator has called for afternoon and evening energy conservation to make sure that the supply of power stays ahead of demand.
The flex alert has been issued for Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The grid operator is predicting an increase in electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use due to the heat wave.
Here are five ways PG&E says its customers can cut their power use and help keep the lights and air on for everyone:
· Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher
· During the night or early morning, open windows and doors and use fans to cool your home to keep that cool air in during the evening.
· Close your shades
· Cool down with a fan
· Clear the area around your AC
If you're working in an office setting, CAISO recommends the following:
· Turn off any office equipment that is not currently in use. Alternately, look for sleep or power-saving modes in between uses during the day.
· Enable power management settings on all computers so that they go to sleep and turn off screens when not in use.
· Plug electronics such as coffeemakers and microwaves into power strips and switch them off when the day is done.
· As you leave the office, get in the habit of checking to make sure computers, printers/copiers, and other office equipment is fully shut down. If possible, switch them off at the power strip to ensure they are no longer draining energy.
Click here to find out more about this flex alert.
