ST. PETERSBURG - Progress Energy Florida set a new peak-demand record Thursday morning as customers reacted to below freezing temperatures throughout much of the state.
Customers used 10,299 megawatt-hours (MWh) between 7 and 8 a.m. Thursday, surpassing the prior hourly peak for the utility - 10,276 MWh set on February 6, 2009. In the days before setting the new hourly peak, Progress Energy customers were using 70 – 90 percent more electricity than is typical for this time of year.
With weekend forecasts calling for widespread areas of below freezing temperatures throughout the company’s 35 county service territory, customers’ electricity usage is expected to continue to be high.
Progress Energy does not anticipate problems meeting customer demand. The company closely monitors weather conditions and is prepared to meet our customers’ electric needs. Crews continue to work throughout this weeklong cold weather to ensure customers have the power they need.
“Over the past decade, we’ve invested millions in preventative maintenance and upgrades to our plants, poles, lines and systems in order to be prepared for the energy demands created by temperature extremes,” said Progress Energy Florida President and CEO Vincent Dolan. “The system that serves our customers is very reliable, and we continuously work to make it even more dependable and efficient in meeting the needs of the more than 1.6 million homes and business we serve.”
However, even with ample generation capacity, inclement weather can cause scattered outages. Our control center operates around-the-clock and is prepared to dispatch service crews at the first sign of trouble. If customers experience a power interruption, the quickest way to report it is to call the company's automated outage-reporting system at 1 (800) 228-8485. The public and media can view current outages at www.progress-energy.com/outagemap.
Peak demand is a measure of the greatest amount of electricity used by customers at one time. It can be measured instantaneously or over a period of time. For purposes of comparison, Progress Energy Florida uses hourly peak information.
While customers generally use more energy overall during summer months in Florida, the highest hourly peak usage typically occurs in winter, as customers use electric heat to warm their homes on cold mornings.
Higher electricity use during cold snaps can lead to higher bills. Progress Energy encourages customers to take steps to ensure they are using energy wisely throughout the year. For instance, the simplest thing customers can do is adjust their thermostat. For every degree the thermostat is set below 70o F, customers can save 10 percent on the heating portion of their energy bills.
Progress Energy offers customers many ways to save energy and manage their bills. Customers can take charge of their energy usage and save money by implementing energy-efficiency measures in their homes by starting with a free Home Energy Check. Customers interested in signing up for a free Home Energy Check can visit www.savethewatts.com or call 1.877.364.9003. The website offers more than 100 ideas on how to save energy and money with electricity bills.
For those customers struggling to pay their bills, the company's Energy Neighbor Fund helps low-income customers in financial crisis. All funds collected from participating customers and employees are distributed through local social service agencies. For more information about the Energy Neighbor Fund, visit www.progress-energy.com or call 1.800.700.8744.
