PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Energy usage skyrocketed across south central Pennsylvania on Friday as air conditioners were put to use to fight the extreme heat.
"Typical air conditioners use between 2 to 4 kilowatts per hour which is similar to running 33 TV’s all at once," said Eric Bowman, an HVAC service manager at Lancaster Plumbing and Heating. "They use a considerable amount [of energy], especially on these hot days."
"Whenever you have extreme temperatures, that is when you are using the most electricity because more than half of the electricity used in a home is for either heating or cooling the space of the home," said Met-Ed spokesperson Todd Meyers.
The hot weather has caused PJM Interconnection, the company responsible for moving wholesale electricity in Pennsylvania and 12 other states to issue two alerts this week due to the expected increase in energy usage.
A PJM spokesperson says they have not reached an emergency level however preparations are being made for increased electricity demand.
The company released the following statement:
"PJM has extended its Maximum Generation Alert/Load Management Alert through July 28. The alert is an early notification that system conditions might require additional procedures.
With that alert, PJM also issued an EEA-1, which is a North American Electric Reliability Corporation alert that is generally issued with the PJM Maximum Generation Alert, and means that all generating resources are online or have been scheduled.
PJM has issued these alerts to help prepare generators for the onset of intense heat.
PJM served a preliminary peak load of around 148,000 MW on July 27, and is currently forecasting a peak of around 155,000 MW for July 28."
Met-Ed says a collective effort to conserve energy can help the situation while also saving you a buck.
"It’s always wise to conserve electricity the best we can during these times, the high-heat, because not only can it alleviate some strain from the overall grid but it also can save you some money next month when you open up that bill," said Meyers.
They say turning up your thermostat even just one degree can make a big impact.
"For every degree that you can go up no matter where you start, you save about 3% on your electric bill," said Meyers.
They also suggest using fans, lowering blinds and closing curtains, ensuring air condition filters are clean and making sure vents are not covered.
"Those things sound small but collectively it can make a big difference.," said Meyers. "We’re all in this together and anything you can do that helps yourself with conserving electricity also helps the system overall."