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LADWP Urges Saving Energy While Staying Safe During Heat Wave

LADWP Urges Saving Energy While Staying Safe
During Heat Wave

Reducing Power Use Saves Costs and Helps Prevent Outages
LOS ANGELES — With hot temperatures expected to hit parts of L.A. starting Thursday, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is urging customers to conserve energy use where possible, especially between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., while not jeopardizing their health and safety.

“During times of extreme heat, we strongly encourage customers to conserve energy wherever possible as long as it does not jeopardize anyone’s own health or safety or the health and safety of their pets,” General Manager Marcie Edwards said.

Reducing energy use can help customers save costs and prevent power outages that can occur if power system equipment heats up and becomes overloaded. Extreme heat not only leads to more people operating their air conditioners all at once but also causes other appliances to work harder in order to perform.

LADWP said that all power generating units will be available, and planned outages will be postponed where possible to ensure that adequate is available to meet customers’ needs during the heat wave. Over the next six days, temperatures are expected to top 100 degrees in parts of the San Fernando Valley. The power forecast is expected to be about 5,200 megawatts on Thursday. Power use in Los Angeles averages about 4,700 megawatts during the summer, and usually increases in late August through September.

To help reduce energy use, LADWP recommends the following as highly effective conservation measures:

  • Adjust thermostat to 78 degrees to reduce energy usage during the hottest hours of the day when air conditioning systems have to work hardest to cool.
  • Limit the use of appliances during peak hours of the day- use washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners and other heavy appliances during evening hours.
  • Close draperies, shades or blinds during the heat of the day to reduce the extra heat from direct sunlight.
  • Ventilate your home by opening windows and doors to clear out the heat and allow cooler air to circulate.
  • Turn off lights and equipment when they are not in use.
  • Unplug “energy vampires” like cell phone chargers, DVD players, microwave ovens and other appliances that use energy even when turned off or in sleep mode.

More information on energy-saving tips and programs is available at www.MyLADWP.com. Select “How to Save” from the drop-down menu.

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