Duke Energy has asked its customers in North Carolina and South Carolina to voluntarily reduce their electricity use on the morning of Monday, February 2, as extremely low temperatures have led to higher-than-normal energy demand across the East Coast. The company cited unusually cold weather—between 10 and 20 degrees below average—as the reason for this increased strain on the power grid.
Customers are encouraged to take several steps to help ease pressure on the grid. These include lowering thermostats to the lowest comfortable setting, avoiding the use of large appliances such as washers, dryers, and dishwashers between 4:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., turning off unnecessary devices and lights, and charging electric vehicles during midday when demand is lower.
“Sabemos que reducir el consumo eléctrico es un inconveniente, pero hace una gran diferencia,” said Gerald Wilson, vice president of grid operations at Duke Energy. “Estamos tomando todas las medidas necesarias para satisfacer las necesidades energéticas de nuestros clientes, lo que incluye maximizar nuestra capacidad de generación y compra de energÃa y colaborar con grandes clientes comerciales e industriales que cuentan con programas de respuesta a la demanda. Agradecemos la cooperación, paciencia y comprensión de nuestros clientes mientras trabajamos para mantener un servicio confiable en todo Carolina del Norte y del Sur.”
Duke Energy serves about 8.6 million electric customers in six states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. The company also provides natural gas service to approximately 1.7 million customers across five states.
As part of its broader strategy, Duke Energy is investing in improvements to its electrical grid and increasing its use of cleaner energy sources such as natural gas, nuclear power, renewables, and energy storage.
More information can be found at duke-energy.com or through Duke Energy’s social media channels.
