Community Corner

Heat Wave Prompts Calls for Less Electric

Forecast highs near 95 through Friday.

With forecast highs for Madison hovering around 95 through Friday, the Madison Electric Utility is asking residents to consider conserving energy from noon to 7 p.m. to ease the strain on the electric grid.

A department email says "we expect the electric grid that serves Madison to experience very high energy demand," which can lead to costly "peak demand charges."

By having residents and businesses voluntarily reduce electric consumption for a few hours on the hottest days, the borough estimates it could save $80,000.

Find out what's happening in Madisonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Find out what's happening in Madisonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  1. Turn off unnecessary lights and electronics and unplug charging units.
  2. Close the blinds on the sunny side of your home.
  3. Postpone use of major appliances such as your electric clothes dryer or dish washer until after 7 p.m.
  4. Turn your electric hot water heater to 'vacation' setting.
  5. Temporarily raise your air conditioning unit to 77 degrees, or, if your home is less efficient, a preferred strategy is to decrease the temperature at noon by 3 degrees to pre-cool the building, then increase the temperature by 3 degrees each hour at 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
  6. Consider turning down your air conditioner and going to the movies, mall, library or other public building.


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