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O&R Heat Advisory: Using Energy Tips Can Help You Beat The Heat

  • Orange & Rockland Media Relations

  • Pearl River – August 11, 2021 -- 05:00 PM

Because of the blazing temperatures and steamy humidity forecast for tomorrow and Friday, O&R has issued a Heat Advisory for Thursday, Aug. 12. and Friday Aug. 13

The continued sizzling heat and stifling humidity are driving exceptionally heavy air conditioning use and its accompanying high electricity demand.

The company’s electric-use forecast for Thursday predicts demand to peak at 1,545 megawatts. Friday’s electric demand forecast peak is for 1,527 megawatts. O&R’s current all-time, electric demand peak record is 1,617 megawatts which was set on August 2, 2006.

O&R issues a Heat Advisory if the electric demand is predicted to peak over 1,500 megawatts for the day or if the heat index is forecasted to reach over 100 degrees for two days or more.

Thursday and Friday, O&R field crews will be focusing primarily on emergency work, with scheduled work being performed as system conditions permit.

O&R engineers and system operators will be closely monitoring the loads on distribution circuits, transformer banks and other key system components to detect any heat-related issues.

Spot checks will be made of potentially high-load circuits and O&R also will institute load reduction measures at its own facilities.

To help its customers better cope with the heat, O&R offers these Cool Tips:

  • Turn down or turn off air conditioning in your home while you are away or at work to help lower your energy bill.
  • Set your air conditioner to the highest temperature your comfort and health will allow to help you save cooling money.
  • Close all doors and windows in your home while the air conditioning is running to make things cooler at a lower price.
  • Cook, bake or perform other household activities that produce heat and humidity during the cooler times of the day and night.
  • Pull your curtains and shades closed to help block out the sun and the heat of the day.
  • Take advantage of your smart meter by viewing your energy usage and customized energy savings tips located in your online account at: www.oru.com/myaccount

For energy efficiency tips, incentives and rebates, please visit: www.oru.com/save.

The heat, humidity and increased demand for electricity to power air conditioners can pose challenges to the electric delivery system, in some instances, overheating electrical equipment and resulting in power outages.

The coming days could also bring thunderstorms, which can affect the overhead electric delivery system and cause outages.

O&R urges members of the public to stay away from any wires that are downed during storms. Call your local police department at 911 or O&R at 1-877-434-4100 to report downed wires.

If you experience a power outage, don’t assume that O&R automatically knows about it. You can report it and check to see when your lights will be back on through:

  • At www.oru.com/ReportOutage from any computer or web-based mobile device.
  • O&R mobile app from your iPhone, iPad or Android device --- download via Apple Store or Google Play.
  • Text messaging by texting “OUT” to 69678 (myORU) or
  • Call 1-877-434-4100.

O&R crews follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines about face coverings and social distancing with each other and members of the public when responding to emergency calls. That’s an attempt to keep everyone safe from COVID-19. O&R also asks that members of the public remain a safe social distance from O&R crews, work sites and trucks.

To prepare for this summer’s peak demands for electricity, O&R has made investments totaling over $130 million this year to fortify and improve the reliability of its electric system. That investment builds on the nearly $1 billion O&R has invested over the past 10 years on electric system maintenance and reliability projects.

About Orange & Rockland

Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R), a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc., one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, is a regulated utility. O&R provides electric service to approximately 300,000 customers in southeastern New York State (where its franchise name is Orange & Rockland) and northern New Jersey (where it’s Rockland Electric Company) and natural gas service to approximately 130,000 customers in New York.

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