As frigid temperatures strengthened their grip on central and eastern Pennsylvania, PPL Electric Utilities customers set a new winter record for electricity use Monday morning, based on preliminary figures.
Between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., customers used an estimated 7,318 megawatts, or enough to light more than 73 million 100-watt light bulbs. That tops the previous hourly winter peak of 7,274 megawatts, set during a one-hour period on Dec. 20, 2004. The all-time PPL record remains 7,554 megawatts, set during a one-hour period Aug. 1, 2006.
“The value of reliable service is never more apparent than when you step out of a cold, biting wind and into a warm, cozy home,” said Bill Spence, president of PPL Electric Utilities.
“We understand how important that is to our customers, and we invest in reliability throughout the year so that we can deliver the electricity customers need when they need it the most,” he said.
High electricity use likely will continue Monday night and into Tuesday. Spence said PPL Electric Utilities expects to have enough electricity to meet customers’ needs.
Customers can save energy and help keep their homes warm by:
• Opening blinds and shades to allow sunlight in during the day and closing them at night to reduce drafts.
• Limiting the use of kitchen and bath exhaust fans, which can suck heat out of your house.
• Ensuring that dampers are closed tightly on unused fireplaces.
• Closing off unoccupied rooms and keeping garage doors closed.
PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation that provides electricity delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania, has consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) controls more than 11,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to more than 5 million customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America. More information is available at www.pplweb.com.