Pacific Power prepares for high temperatures

With high temperatures expected across parts of Oregon and Washington this weekend and early next week, Pacific Power is encouraging customers to prepare for warmer weather.

“More electricity is used by our customers during the summer season than at any other time of the year,” said Curt Mansfield, Pacific Power senior vice president of power delivery. “We encourage customers to take steps to manage their energy use and take advantage of incentives to increase energy efficiency at home.”

Pacific Power relies on a diverse mix of available energy resources to meet peak hour needs during warmer weather, and the company is well positioned to meet customer demand.

During hot weather, Pacific Power also takes steps each day to keep electric service reliable for its customers through daily monitoring of substations and circuits that have the highest use and addressing any issues immediately.

The demand for electricity typically reaches its highest point on a hot weekday afternoon, generally from about 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. when power is needed to operate irrigation systems and air conditioners.

Customers can save on power bills by taking some simple steps to reduce energy usage:

• Switch energy usage to early morning or late evening whenever possible.
• Set the thermostat on central air conditioning at 78 degrees or higher, health permitting.
• Turn off lights, computers, televisions and appliances when you are not using them.
• Open windows in the cool of the evening and again in early morning to let in cool air. Use the intake setting on window fans to help bring in even more cool air.
• Keep air moving inside your home with ceiling, window, attic and portable fans.

Find more energy-saving tips at PacificPower.net/SummerCooling.