The Orlando Utilities Commission and Duke Energy are warning residents to conserve energy as temperatures continue to dip in Central Florida.
Officials at OUC say the electric grid remains reliable, but, “extreme cold can drive up energy use, which could require significantly more electricity than cooling.”
“This puts more strain on the grid and potentially makes it harder to keep homes and businesses warm, especially during early morning hours,” OUC said in a statement.
The utility urges residents and business owners to choose a comfortable thermostat setting and lower it slightly, and then set it and leave it there.
Customers are also asked to delay major appliance usage, take shorter showers, and avoid morning EV charging.
School impacts
Orange County Public Schools closed Summerlake Elementary School on Monday due to the cold weather.
“Teams have been working around the clock to address the impacts of the freezing temperatures,” a statement from OCPS reads, “and we are grateful for their tremendous efforts to ensure our buildings are safe and ready for students and staff.”
The district reminds “families and staff to dress warm and take extra care while traveling and navigating the continued cold. We will be assessing any overnight issues and if there is anything major with any of our schools we will be contacting families first thing in the morning.”
Other districts throughout Central Florida asked teachers and students to bundle up this week, especially at bus stops, or while walking to school, to minimize exposure to the cold.
The Winter Park Library opened a couple of hours later than usual Monday to conserve energy. In a statement, the library wrote it was an effort to “reduce power usage during peak demand and to help prevent outages caused by system overload.”
OUC provided these tips for energy conservation during cold weather:
In the home
OUC encourages residential customers to take the following steps during peak morning hours of 6 a.m. – 9 a.m.:
· Choose a comfortable thermostat setting and lower it slightly: Warming a home in cold weather requires much more energy than cooling during summer months. OUC recommends setting thermostats around 68 degrees, but even a two-degree reduction can make a difference when done collectively.
· Set it and leave it: Frequent thermostat adjustments force heating systems to work harder and increase energy demand.
· Use heat pumps efficiently: If your home has a heat pump, keep it in normal mode. Emergency heat uses significantly more electricity and adds strain to the grid.
· Delay major appliance use: Postpone using washers, dryers and dishwashers until later in the day, as these appliances rely on hot water and heat.
· Take shorter showers: Water heaters use substantial energy to heat and reheat water.
· Avoid morning EV charging: Charging electric vehicles during peak hours adds significant demand when energy use is already high.
For businesses
OUC asks business customers to consider these conservation measures during peak morning hours 6 a.m. – 9 a.m.:
· Pre-warm buildings before peak demand: Heat spaces overnight or very early in the morning – before 4 a.m. – and reduce heating later in the morning when possible.
· Delay non-essential equipment start-ups: Stagger the startup of large HVAC systems, industrial equipment, kitchen appliances, compressors, pumps or motors by 15 to 30 minutes.
· Adjust thermostats modestly: Set your thermostat 2 to 3 degrees lower than usual during peak hours.
· Use heating zones efficiently: Prioritize occupied or customer-facing areas and reduce heating in storage spaces, unused offices, conference rooms or loading areas.
· Shift energy-intensive activities: Move tasks such as laundry, dishwashing or production runs to late morning or afternoon.
· Consider flexible work options: Later start times or remote work, when feasible, can reduce morning heating demand.
