Delmarva Power, which offers power services in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, asked their Maryland customers to conserve energy on Thursday, July 30th. This request was in preparation for an excessive heat wave heading for the mid-Atlantic region, in which some areas were expected to approach 100 degrees.
The company declared the day to be Peak Savings Day, and announced that customers will receive credits to reduce their energy bills if they volunteer to reduce their energy output below a specified baseline. For every kilowatt hour a customer reduces through the program, they will be credited $1.25 off their electric bill. This is a program that the company has participated in before; Peak Savings Days usually fall on a weekday between the months of June and September. Customers who are part of this program will automatically receive a call from Delmarva Power indicating the time of the savings period.
Delmarva Power asked their customers to conserve electricity through a variety of methods. Since the largest use of electricity in the U.S. residential sector is from air conditioning, which accounts for 19% of residential electricity use, the company asked their customers to set their thermostats at 78 degrees, or to use electric fans.
They also suggested keeping windows and blinds closed, which helps keep the sun out and the cool air in. Limiting the use of appliances and electrically heated water is another way that customers can conserve electricity, along with unplugging of unused appliances and keeping the lights switched off.
The company also has an Energy Wise Reward program, which runs during the day between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. During this time, customers who are included in the program will have their air conditioning units switched off for short intervals, while keeping the fans on to maintain a comfortable temperature.
