LOUISVILLE, Ky. — June and July have been some of the hottest months on record and as temperatures reach record levels across the Commonwealth today and tomorrow, so can energy usage. Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company encourage customers to take simple energy efficiency steps to help lower energy consumption during the extreme heat wave and help reduce stress on customers' HVAC systems and demand on the companies' power system.
- Set air conditioners to the highest comfortable setting during the day: 78-80 degrees works for most people. Raising your air conditioner setting by one degree can save you 4-7 percent on the cooling portion of your energy bill.
- Turn off all unnecessary lights. Use fluorescent lighting, which is cooler.
- Turn off all unnecessary appliances. Run your dishwashers, dryers and washing machines during the evening hours (after 7 p.m.) when energy consumption is lower.
- Use ceiling fans to circulate the cool air. Fans can help you feel more comfortable at higher temperatures. Window fans, ceiling fans or whole-house fans use much less power and are an alternative to air conditioners. Turn the fan off when you leave the room since the fan does its job by cooling you — not the room.
- Close curtains, drapes and/or blinds to keep the hot sun's heat out of your home.
- Don't close air registers and do not close off rooms completely because it can increase system pressure and damage the compressor. Furniture or drapes should not block air registers.
- Cook outdoors on your grill; use a microwave oven or crockpot or prepare cold meals to avoid heating up the kitchen and adding moisture to the air. Microwaves use less than half the power of a conventional oven and cook food in about one-fourth the time.
- Check your air filters monthly — even on extended filters. Change if necessary. Dirty air filters make your air conditioner work harder. Clean the filter in window units as well. It is behind the front panel.
- The outdoor unit of an air conditioner should be kept free from plants, dirt or grass clippings that will interfere with air circulation. Wash the coil periodically with a garden hose.
"We work hard to ensure our system can meet the increased energy demand, but we also know that customers want information on how to better control their energy usage on days of near-record temperatures," said Chip Keeling, Vice President of Communications for E.ON U.S., parent of LG&E and KU.
"By following just a few simple steps, customers can maintain their comfort level, but help curb energy consumption, reducing overall demand on our system as well as their HVAC systems."
On June 23 at 5 p.m., LG&E and KU experienced a combined system, June and year-to-date record peak of 6,709 megawatts. By way of comparison, the all-time combined system peak of 7,132 megawatts came on Aug. 9, 2007 at 4 p.m., when the temperature reached 101 degrees. (One megawatt can power up to 720 households using an average of 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each for one month). Visit www.lge-ku.com/ee for additional tips and information concerning energy efficiency programs.
Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve a total of 1.2 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 321,000 natural gas and 397,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 543,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.
