Amid Extreme Heat, PSEG LI Urges Electricity Reduction To Avoid Outages

UNIONDALE, NY — As Long Islanders deal with extreme heat, PSEG Long Island is urging customers to reduce electricity.

A extreme heat warning is in effect on 8 p.m. on Tuesday for Nassau and Western Suffolk, the National Weather Service said.

PSEG Long Island is activating its voluntary Smart Savers thermostat program to reduce the system's load by automatically adjusting thermostats of residential customers who have chosen to participate.

Activating the program will also help save money next year by reducing the amount of required electrical capacity purchased in advance.

“PSEG Long Island is committed to providing safe, reliable electric service, and we are prepared for this period of extreme heat,” said Michael Voltz, director of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for PSEG Long Island.

On Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., which is 30 minutes prior to the activation, enrolled customers’ homes will be pre-cooled by 3 degrees for 30 minutes, then their thermostats will be raised by 4 degrees from 4-7 p.m.

In exchange, these customers receive a discount on their electric bills. More than 40,000 customers have enrolled in the program. All customers should take these precautions as it will over 100 degrees.

• Turn off all nonessential electronics and appliances.
• Set home thermostats or air conditioner units to 78 degrees.
• Run major appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and pool pumps, in the morning or late evening to avoid the peak demand hours of 2 to 8 p.m.
• Set refrigerators and freezers at most-efficient temperatures.
• Do not cool an empty house. Set your thermostat higher when you are away, or use a smart thermostat to control the temperature in your home.