TVA asking customers to voluntarily reduce energy usage

WINSTON COUNTY - The Tennessee Valley Authority -  the energy provider for Cullman Electric Co-op, which serves eastern Winston County - is asking all of its customers to be aware of their power consumption on Wednesday, Jan. 17, especially during the morning hours, and try to conserve energy where they can.

The bitter cold temperatures across all areas served by TVA is creating a record high demand for electricity across the entire southeast, according to a press release issued by TVA earlier Tuesday, Jan. 16.    TVA assures that the power supply is stable and that conservation requests are, "often used in the power industry to help lower demand during a specific time and does not indicate TVA is experiencing emergency conditions," the press release states.

TVA is recommending power conservation for three primary reasons, the press release states.  They are:

• Extremely cold temperatures and near-zero wind chill cause an increase in power demand for heating over an extended period of time for more than 10 million people across the TVA seven-state region.
• Colder temperatures mean more people are turning to electrified heat sources, pushing demand higher to what is referred to as a “peak.”
• Winter limits the availability of solar generation in the morning hours.

TVA offers the following tips to help conserve energy:

• Set your thermostat to 65-68 degrees. You can save as much as 10 percent per year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat down 7°–10°F for 8 hours a day in the fall and winter.
• Ensure your window coverings on the sunny side of your house are open.
• Unplug unused electronics
• Unblock your air vents
• Reduce your energy usage by turning off non-essential appliances and lights and refrain from using large appliances during the coldest part of the day.
• Postpone use of hot water and adjust water heater’s temperature.
• Weatherstrip doors and windows
• For commercial business customers, turn off any lights and office equipment (or place in sleep mode) when not in use and turn off air-conditioning/heating outside of business hours.