July 15, 2003
ROSEMEAD, Calif., July 15, 2003—As the region continues to cope with the near-record heat expected to last the rest of the week, Southern California Edison is urging its residential and business customers to reduce power consumption, especially during the afternoon hours.
The appeal comes on the heels of an announcement by the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO) that Monday’s demand for electricity nearly set a record for electricity usage for the state. Monday’s peak demand for electricity—42, 306 megawatts (MW)—“came within about 1,000 MW of the all-time record,” according to Cal-ISO.
[A megawatt of electricity is enough power to supply approximately 750 homes.]
Cal-ISO, the nonprofit agency charged with managing the flow of electricity for most of California, has managed to balance the supply and demand for electricity, but also is encouraging energy conservation.
In the summer, energy use generally peaks in the late afternoon. Consumers are being asked to “give their appliances the afternoon off,” deferring until evening or morning the use of nonessential appliances such as washers, dryers, heavy equipment, and computers.
To reduce electrical use, customers also can:
- Set a thermostat higher—Instead of 70 degrees (F), a setting of 78 will save money and require the air conditioner to cycle on less.
- Reduce lighting—Lighting unoccupied rooms is wasting electricity.
- Use fans—They cool a room and can circulating air more effectively when using air conditioning.
- Use shades and blinds—They can effectively cool a building without using electricity.
More tips on conserving energy can be found at www.sce.com under “Save Energy & Money.”
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An Edison International company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of more than 12 million via 4.5 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within central, coastal and Southern California.
