Electric Utility Asks New York Residents To Reduce Usage

Summer is upon us in New York State and while Buffalo and Western New York have a reputation for being a cold and snowy place, as we all know it actually gets pretty steamy here in the 716 during the warmer months.

Since it can get pretty warm in Western New York, that often forces Buffalonians to find ways to keep cool.

How Can We Keep Cool During These Hot Summer Days?

Living right on the eastern end of Lake Erie means we have direct access to a large body of fresh water and with the many beaches around the area, there are plenty of places to go enjoy the weather. That, of course, doesn't include all of the pools and splash pads that are sprinkled around the area as well.

If heading to the beach every day isn't an option, you can always just stay inside and turn down the thermostat on your air conditioner.

Read More: Need A Free Air Conditioner? New York State Has Got You Covered

However, the dog days of summer often lead to you using a lot more energy which results in higher electric bills. With all of the inflation and stagnant wages that many areas are dealing with, having your electric bill go up often makes it difficult to get by day after day.

Unfortunately, having a high electric bill isn't the only problem that we have to deal with when it's super hot outside.

What Happens If We Use Too Much Electricity At The Same Time?

The electricity grid in many areas, Buffalo and Western New York included, has a hard time keeping up when a large percentage of people are using a lot of electricity at the same time. This extra usage from air conditioners and fans often can result in a power outage due to over-taxation of the system.

To help prevent that from happening, National Grid is asking people to voluntarily reduce the amount of energy they use over the next few days as we are currently in a High Demand Day.

To help reduce the pressure on the electrical grid, power utilities all over the Empire State are asking people to cut their usage during the afternoon and early evening hours.

If you want to help there are a few things you can do to pitch in. Doing things like adjusting your thermostat by a few degrees, unplugging appliances, and electronic devices, or using those appliances during off-peak hours all can help lighten the load on the grid.

Read More: Can The Electric Company Control Your AC This Summer In New York?

Also, if you have an electronic or wifi controlled thermostat, the power company may have sent you an alert on the thermostat. Just be mindful if you do have an electronic or wifi thermostat because the power company might be able to take control of your thermostat and lock you out of it.