PEARL RIVER – With the year’s first major heat wave hitting the area just before the holiday weekend, air conditions are cranked up and fans on on high.
Utility companies across the state are preparing for increased demand. The combination of extreme heat and heavy humidity is expected to persist through the 4th of July, and the surge in air conditioner use will put extra strain on the power grid.
Josh Natoli, the manager of communications for Orange and Rockland Utilities, says you can help prevent power outages.
“Doing things like closing your blinds, closing your curtains, putting fans up, making sure all the windows are shut too, or else your money’s just literally flying out the window,” he stresses. “These are things that are going to, in the long run, benefit you in two ways. It’s going to benefit everybody because you’re putting less strain on the grid, but it’s also going to benefit you because you’re not going to be using nearly as much energy as you would have (running an AC at a too-cold setting).”
So, Natoli says they are primed for the increased demand. “So we’re ready. We’re ready for whatever we’ve got coming our way.”
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