With potential record cold weather on the way, the Tennessee Valley Authority is urging consumers to begin reducing electric usage as much as possible beginning Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 Central, 4:00 Eastern time. The utility is calling it a "proactive move".
TVA says arctic temperatures are causing greater demands on their electric system which could affect reliability.
There haven't been any wide-spread power outages in Kentucky because of this week's storm, but Shelley Lowe with Bowling Green Municipal Utilities says they're just "trying to get ahead of the game." She said, "we're trying to be proactive in doing this so we have plenty of power across the TVA valley."
Lowe said everyone doing a little bit can make a big difference. Consumers are asked to not run appliances if they're not needed, unplug power cords and, most importantly, turn down the thermostat. "Even if it's just a couple of degrees," she said, "that will help us with energy consumption."
Lowering the thermostat just one degree, say from 68 degrees down to 67, can save as much as 3% on a monthly bill.
And Lowe says BGMU is putting their money where their mouth is. They've begun wearing sweaters and coats at their downtown office building after they turned their thermostats down to 60 degrees.
