Danville Utilities is requesting that its electric customers curtail usage from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. each weekday for the next two weeks because of an advisory issued by its wholesale power.
Conserving energy during these three-hour periods will help save on future power supply costs.
During these three-hour periods, according to the advisory, the demand for electricity across the regional power grid that serves Danville could be at its highest point of the year because of higher than average temperatures.
Plenty of power will be available, but these high load periods are the electric utility industry’s equivalent of rush-hour traffic. Municipal electric utilities pay added demand-based charges for an entire year based on what their communities are using during these hours. For every 1,000 kilowatts curtailed during the peak hours, Danville Utilities will save $155,000 toward 2021 power supply costs.
Customers can take simple conservation steps during peak periods:
- Run the dishwasher and do laundry and other household chores requiring electricity during hours other than the peak hours,
- Set your air conditioner thermostat up 5 degrees and use fans,
- Shut off lights when not needed and unplug small appliances and electric chargers (especially those with small lights).
Danville Utilities provides natural gas, water, wastewater and telecommunications services in Danville and distributes electricity to approximately 42,000 customer locations in a 500-square-mile service territory covering Danville, the southern third of Pittsylvania County, and small portions of Henry and Halifax counties.