HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The extreme heat hitting South Central Pennsylvania can come with a price.
Jess Baker with PPL electric utilities in Harrisburg says there will be a demand for electricity over the next few days.
That's why PPL prepares its power grids year round for extremely hot days like we are expecting this week.
"We inspect all of our equipment regularly to make sure it's going to hold up against an extra strain," said Jess Baker, Regional Affairs Director at PPL Electric Utilities.
Baker says more than 1.4 million homes and businesses that PPL serves in Pennsylvania, engineers have to stay on top of things to keep up with the electricity demand.
If you want to save some money during the heat wave, there are some things to keep in mind.
Baker says you should set your air conditioner to a higher temperature when you're not at home. She says anywhere between 72 and 78 degrees will do the trick.
"You can do that with a programable thermostat a little bit more easily," said Baker. "Every degree that you lower the temperature is an extra two percent on your bill for most people so it can be significant," she added.
Ceiling fans are also an option.
You want your ceiling fan to turn counter clockwise and that makes the air come straight down creating a windchill effect," said Baker.
Experts say you should try to stay away from using heat-producing appliances.
"Try to do your laundry and run the dishwasher at night or in the morning when it's not as hot because they're going to heat up your home and your air conditioner has to work harder to combat that heat which costs you more money," she added.
