To: Editors, News Directors	Date: July 6, 2004
For: Immediate Release

ACC Commissioners Urge Power Conservation

Valley Utility Customers Would Help Grid & Save Money

PHOENIX – There’s nothing like a hot day in Arizona to send people running for the coolest air conditioning they can find.  But cranking down the thermostat has a big downside: the big utility bill!  Today, the need to conserve energy is even more acute due to a fire at a major electrical substation.

The Arizona Corporation Commissioners are urging business, commercial and residential utility consumers to take immediate steps to reduce energy consumption while the substation is out of service.

“There is a real, tangible benefit to reducing your energy consumption,” Chairman Marc Spitzer said.  “You, your family or your business will save on your electric bill at a time when our bills are typically at their peak.”

“The most critical time period is in the late afternoon, typically between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.,” Commissioner Bill Mundell explained.  “That’s when business customers are still demanding a lot of electricity but people are coming home from work and starting dinner, laundry and so on.  If residential users made an effort to shift energy-intensive activities to later in the evening, it would help get through this critical period.”

Businesses can help, too.  “Large grocery stores, super centers, malls and warehouse stores are big users of electricity for cooling, lighting and refrigeration,” Commissioner Jeff Hatch-Miller explained.  “They can save money, lower their own bills and ensure we have the power we need by turning off unnecessary lights and bumping up the thermostat a few degrees.”

“Air conditioning can represent as much as 60 percent of a peak summer electric bill in Arizona.  Turning the thermostat up one degree could save as much as two to three percent on the cooling portion of your electric bill,” Commissioner Mike Gleason said.

Some suggestions from the Commissioners include:

• Replace your air conditioning filter monthly.  Filters are designed to screen out dust and debris and with Arizona’s dusty, dry conditions, filters need to be changed frequently.  A full filter makes your A/C unit work harder, shortening its overall life and reducing its energy efficiency.
• Clear off leaves and debris from on top of and around your outdoor air conditioning components.  This will help the unit(s) work more efficiently.
• Close drapes, window shades or blinds during the hottest parts of the day.  This will help keep the sun from naturally warming the interior of your home, office or apartment.
• Use ceiling fans or electric fans to help make rooms feel cooler.  A ceiling fan uses far less energy than a central air conditioning unit – typically between 65 and 175 watts.
• Vacuum under your refrigerator and clean the coils on the back of your refrigerator.  Just like dirty air filters, dirt buildups on refrigerator coils reduce efficiency and make the compressor work harder.
• Change the timer on your pool pump or spa so that it runs after 8:00 p.m. and before 9:00 a.m. during the off-peak hours.
• Reset the temperature on your electric water heater to 120 degrees or lower.  In the hot summer months, you’re unlikely to want super hot water anyway.  Between 110 and 120 degrees is still hot enough for laundry and dishwashing needs.
• Do laundry after 8:00 p.m. or before 9:00 a.m.  Wash and rinse laundry in cool or warm water instead of hot unless absolutely necessary.
• Run the dishwasher only when it’s full, preferably after 8:00 p.m. and before 9:00 a.m.  You can save even more energy by turning off the heated drying cycle and toweling off any remaining dampness.
• Prepare foods on an outdoor grill.  You’ll save money by not using your oven and your kitchen will be cooler, too.
• Consider purchasing a programmable thermostat.  You can adjust the program to keep your home or office warmer when you’re asleep or away and cooler when you’re home or working.

“We are getting regular updates from both utilities and know that they are doing everything they can to avoid resorting to forced outages.  Anything the home or business owner can do to cut back on energy use could mean the difference between keeping the lights and power on and being a little warm – or being without during a brief outage,” Commissioner Kristin Mayes said.

Background

A fire broke out Sunday, July 4 at the West Wing substation in the far Northwest Valley.  It affected a bank of transformers owned jointly by Arizona Public Service (APS) and the Salt River Project (SRP).  Although the fire was in the Northwest Valley, the West Wing substation is one of four that supports the electrical grid serving the entire Phoenix area.  No APS or SRP customers have lost power as a result but the companies are asking customers to conserve power “to avoid any power outages as a result of the overall diminished transmission capability,” according to statements by both companies.

Unexpected outages from forest fires near power lines or monsoon storms could further strain the grid. 

Substations are junctions where higher voltage transmission lines meet and the power coming off the power lines “stepped down” to a lower voltage and is re-routed to users. 

Contact information for customers

Utility customers with questions about their utility service, energy use or for general inquiries, call:

APS:  602-371-7171 or on the web at www.aps.com

SRP:  602-236-8888 or on the web at www.srpnet.com