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Coco Warner Reporting Hundreds of Draper residents lost power for several hours yesterday. The cause was a failed piece of underground wiring. But many of us may experience power failures in the coming months, now that summer is here.
It's hot today, near 90 degrees. Chances are, a huge number of residents and businesses you see are running their air conditioners, using computers and keeping drinks cold in a refrigerator. All that energy use adds up.
Margaret Oler, Utah Power: "Underground equipment fails from time to time, and it takes quite awhile to repair that, to locate it and repair it."
So that explains yesterday's power outage in Draper, a fluke accident that has nothing to do with the heat. But what about power bumps that Draper and other Wasatch Front residents go through every summer?
Utah Power bases their supply and delivery on our peak usage, which for Utah, happens in July. But that peak is increasing so fast, it's becoming difficult to plan for. And it's a problem when that much power isn't needed for the rest of the year.
So many items in our homes require power. Think about how many television sets or computers you've added to your home in the last decade. So, what can you do to conserve?
Margaret Oler, Utah Power: "When you sit down to watch the 10 o'clock news at night, turn on the dishwasher then, rather than using the dishwasher during the peak hours of 2 p.m. to 8 p.m."
Utah Power also offers their Cooler Keeper Program. They install a device on your air conditioning unit, it then makes sure all units are cycled, so they don't come on at the same time.
If you do experience a power outage, you can call Utah Power at 1-888-221-7070.
There are more ideas on Utah Power's website on how to prepare your home for an outage and energy conservation.
