KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Authority asked people on Monday to cut down on how much electricity they use to help avoid power interruptions while heat indexes rise throughout the state.
The Knoxville Utilities Board said they were notified about the request on Monday as well. They specified that they could handle the power demand from customers, but TVA also asked other utility companies to help lighten the power load.
The TVA said they were seeing a period of all-time record electricity consumption across its region. They specified that people should reduce their electricity use between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. throughout the week to help reduce the burden placed on its systems.
"KUB appreciates the extra efforts made by our customers to help conserve electricity," officials said in a release.
They are asking people to stop using non-essential electricity, such as for decorative indoor and outdoor lighting. They also asked people to set their thermostat as high as comfortably possible and use fans to circulate the air, instead of their air conditioning systems.
They also asked people to hold off on using electrical appliances like dishwashers, dryers and cooking equipment. Businesses should also minimize lighting and turn off all office equipment that does not need to be on, according to a release from KUB.