COLUMBUS, Nebraska (WOWT) – Amid the cold weather of the next few days, Nebraska’s Public Energy District, Omaha’s Public Energy District and Metropolitan Utilities District ask customers to cut power.
The NPPD is asking customers to voluntarily reduce electricity immediately after midnight on February 15 for the next two days. The voluntary order is for electrical customers.
They say cold weather leads to tight conditions in the service territory of the Southwest Power Pool, of which the NPPD is a member.
The ways in which NPPD electrical customers can help without putting safety at risk are:
- Lower the thermostats to 68 degrees or less at night.
- Close curtains and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
- Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and devices, computers and printers.
- Close the fireplace damper when not in use to prevent heat loss from the chimney.
- Avoid using large appliances (for example, ovens, washing machines, etc.)
- Companies should minimize the use of electric lighting and equipment that consume electricity as much as possible.
- Do not connect a generator to your home’s electrical system. Consult a licensed electrician.
- Do not use any grilling equipment to heat the house. Charcoal and gas grills produce large amounts of carbon monoxide and even small quantities have potentially fatal results.
OPPD is also asking customers to reduce energy in the coming days due to the cold weather.
“These prolonged and cold temperatures are increasing the demand for energy in our service territory and by our partner utilities,” said Tim Burke, president and chief executive officer of OPPD. “As they do every day, OPPD employees are working hard, day and night, behind the scenes to keep the energy flowing for our customers.”
Like the NPPD, OPPD is also a member of the Southwest Power Pool. They are also asking customers to start saving energy by midnight on Sunday.
The SPP has declared an Energy Emergency Alert and is asking members and customers to help balance what is currently a peak demand in the winter months.
OPPD customers can help in the following ways:
- Lower the thermostat a few degrees and dress in more warm clothing or use additional blankets to make yourself comfortable. You can reduce energy use by 1-3% for each grade.
- Close the fireplace damper when not in use to prevent heat loss from the chimney. (Use dampers in the ducts to balance the airflow in your home if one room is colder or warmer than another. Closing the logs should be a last resort if no dampers are available.)
- Do not use a wood-burning fireplace for extra heating, as it draws warm air from a home through the chimney to fuel the fire.
- Seal the outside windows and doors with tape.
- Avoid washing and drying clothes or using dishwashers during the coldest hours of the day – usually late at night and early in the morning.
- Avoid the loss of “phantom” energy by:
- Switch desktop computers and monitors to standby when not in use.
- Turn off computer monitors when they are not in use.
- Don’t just turn off electronic devices like TVs, DVDs, Blu-Ray players or cable boxes when they’re not in use. Disconnect them, if possible.
- A centerline filter allows you to turn off multiple devices at the same time.
The MUD is also asking customers to reduce energy in extremely cold climates to help conserve natural gas supplies.
They are asking customers to keep the heat low until Wednesday, February 17, at 9am.
Customers can help save energy by:
- If you are healthy enough to do so, lower the thermostat by 3 degrees. (Note: older adults may want to increase the thermostat to avoid hypothermia).
- To help keep warm, use a sweater or other layers of clothing.
- Close the fireplace damper when not in use to prevent heat loss from the chimney.
- Leave curtains, blinds and / or blinds open in direct sunlight to warm the room and close them at night to prevent heat loss through the windows.
- To avoid frozen pipes, allow heat to circulate around gauges and pipes located near external walls, in non-insulated cabinets or other closed areas.
- Where previous freezes have been a problem, a slight trickle of tap water can prevent a pipe from freezing.
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