The company says it was able to meet customers’ electricity demands.
Frederick, Md (KM) When the summer heat gets intense, many people stay indoors and crank up their air conditioning to stay cool. But during the recent heat wave, Potomac Edison was able to meet its customers’ demands. “During the course of the weekend and this recent heat wave, there were no issues with the supply of power, and we didn’t hit any peak demand systemwide,” says Potomac Edison spokesman Aaron Ruegg.
He says the utilikty performs periodic inspections and maintennace of its grid to make sure it can provide electricity needed by customers. “Those include thermal inspections where we use infrared cameras to inspect our equipment and look for hot spots,” says Ruegg. “We run aerial inspections to insure that we’re looking out for any potential issues with our system.”
In addition, he says line crews are ready in case of power outages or other emergencies. . “We review our operational procedures with our crews so that they’re prepared to handle any outages and respond quickly. And we also run safety briefing so they’re properly prepared to work in the heat,” Ruegg says. And, he notes, that includes staying hydrated when working outside.
But Ruegg says there are things customers can do to save on energy bills and stay cool at the same time. One is installing ceiling fans. “By running fans, ceiling fans, within the home, that might allow them to increase the temperature on their thermostat by a few degrees,” he says. “By increasing the temperature on your thermostat by just one-degree, you can save up to two-percent on your energy costs.”
Another way, says Ruegg, is to close off all rooms in your home which are not being used. “If you’re using a particular area of your home or a room in your home, we encourage to close the vents in that area of the home, or turn off the window air conditioners in that room, and close the doors so you’re conserving energy in those areas,” he says.
With all of the winds bringing down utility poles and power lines, Ruegg says it’s important anyone not to go near downed power lines. You may not know if they’re “live” or not. :”Whether it looks like it’s sparking or charged or not, sometimes they can be deceiving. And we want everyone to stay safely away from any potentially charged equipment so we can have our crews out to safely respond,” he says.
By Kevin McManus