Newsroom /

July 23, 2011

PSE&G Heat Wave Update - July 23, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.

-- At this hour, PSE&G is reporting about 1,500 customers statewide who are without power due to the weather.

-- Unofficial peak demand  was 10,883 megawatts, set on July 22 at 3 pm which is still shy of the all-time peak of 11,108 megawatts set in August 2006.

-- The utility has additional crews on hand to respond to service interruptions as they occur. PJM, the regional grid operator, has had adequate power supplies to meet the increased demand.

-- PSE&G reminds customers to use electricity wisely and conserve when possible to help the environment and save money. 

• Turn off everything you’re not using, including TVs and computers.

• If health conditions permit, raise your air conditioner to 78 degrees. You can save 3 to 5 percent on air conditioning costs for each degree you raise the thermostat. Use fans to circulate air. Portable and ceiling fans use a tenth of the electricity of an air conditioner and can make 78 degrees feel cooler than it actually is.

• Close blinds, shades and draperies facing the sun to block summer light and help fans and air conditioners cool more efficiently.

• Close doors leading to uncooled parts of your home. If you have central air conditioning, close off vents to unused rooms.

• Check to ensure that no furniture or other obstacles are blocking ducts or fans, which will enable cooled air to circulate more frequently.

• Cook and use other heat-generating appliances in the early morning and late evening hours whenever possible.

-- To view demonstrations of how to save energy in your home, visit PSEG’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/psegvideo 
  
If you experience a power outage, please call PSE&G’s Customer Service line: 1-800-436-PSEG.  Customers who are registered with My Account can also report power outages online. To do so, Log In now or register.

Customers can also monitor restoration progress by signing up and following us on our PSEGoutageinfo Twitter channel at http://twitter.com/psegoutageinfo.

** THIS IS THE LAST UPDATE FOR THE EVENING.  Next email update will be at approximately 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state’s population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne National Achievement Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company (www.pseg.com).