Southern California Edison is responding to the rising temperatures by continuing the installation of critical electrical equipment, according to SCE officials.
These crews are also prepared to respond quickly to any power outages in areas that may experience high heat, said SCE spokesman Reggie Kumar.
“Southern California Edison continues to monitor the weather and crews are prepared to quickly respond to possible power outages in all weather conditions,” Kumar said Monday. “We have resources and equipment positioned in locations that may experience high heat.”
With the rise in temperatures and excessive heat warnings, power outages may be frequent because the equipment does not have enough time to cool down between peaks in use. Customers are encouraged to limit, or conserve, energy use during the hottest peak hours to decrease bills and try to avoid strain on the equipment.
Ways Edison advises to conserve energy include:
- Set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you are home and to 85 degrees or “off” when you are away.
- Cook with a grill outside or microwave to keep your home cooler.
- Give your air conditioner a rest when you can and cool your home with open windows and fans.
- Shut off the lights when leaving a room.
- Close your blinds to keep out the afternoon heat.
- Limit the opening and reopening of refrigerators.
- Plug home electronics into power strips and turn off power strips when equipment is not in use.
- Unplug electronic devices and chargers when they are not in use.
- Give your dryer a break and hang your clothes to dry.
- Businesses should shift power-intensive work to the morning or late-evening hours when possible.
Edison officials also encourage customers to clear the dry brush around homes to decrease the chance of fires.
SCE conducts maintenance outages throughout the year to ensure that equipment is replaced or upgraded so that the system is not overwhelmed by repair outages during high heat events.
SCE has also been implementing new technology, remote-controlled “reclosers” on power poles, that can detect when a foreign object contacts a power line and shuts off power when there is a problem, Kumar said.
Kumar added: “Our system is performing well. We are seeing the benefits of all the work completed over the past several years on equipment replacement, upgrades and electric grid hardening.”
