With record low temperatures on the way this weekend, OUC is asking customers to conserve energy during the coldest times of the day. 

While we remain confident in our electric grid and our teams are actively monitoring conditions around the clock, extreme cold causes energy use to rise sharply as heating systems work harder across the state.  

That’s where you come in: Conserving energy during these peak hours helps reduce added strain on the system. 

Energy demand is expected to be highest during the early morning hours, when many households are waking up and turning on the heat at the same time. We’re asking everyone to take a few impactful steps to conserve energy during the cold snap – especially Sunday morning and Monday morning, when demand is forecast to be at its highest. 

These steps include: 

Choosing a comfortable thermostat setting and lowering it slightly. Warming a home in cold weather requires much more energy than cooling during summer months. OUC recommends setting thermostats around 68 degrees, but even a two-degree reduction can make a difference when done collectively.

Leaving your thermostat at the lowest comfortable setting. Fluctuating temperatures cause heating systems to work harder, driving up demand. 

Keeping home heat pumps in normal mode rather than emergency heat. The emergency setting uses much more electricity and significantly increases demand. 

Waiting until later in the day to use major appliances like washers, dryers and dishwashers. These appliances use hot water and heat, spiking demand. 

Taking shorter showers. Hot water heaters use significant amounts of energy to heat and reheat water throughout the day. 

Charging EVs later in the day. When many customers charge their EVs at once, it adds extra demand to the electric grid. 

We are also asking our commercial business partners to take similar steps to conserve energy. By working together across homes and businesses, we can collectively make a meaningful impact and reduce our community’s energy demand. 

Thank you for doing your part to help during this historic arctic blast. As always, please continue to stay safe during cold weather. 

For more cold-weather safety tips and resources, visit OUC.com/coldweather.