The regional non-profit organization that manages the generation and transmission of electricity across a 15-state area including Ameren Illinois has issued a Hot Weather Alert, Capacity Advisory, and Conservative Operations through Thursday night at 10 pm.
The MISO advisories are alerting member utilities, including Ameren Illinois, to prepare for tight energy supply conditions due to expected record demand during the heat wave.
Ameren Illinois’ operations leaders are confident that enough energy supply is available to meet customers’ needs. However, escalating MISO advisories may prompt the utility to ask our residential and business customers to conserve electric power to maintain grid stability. In the unlikely event that they are directed by MISO to reduce electric load, Ameren Illinois has a well-defined plan that minimizes interruptions to residential customers, health care facilities, and other critical customers.
Ameren is providing some tips to cool down and save money:
- Stay in the shade. Use curtains and blinds to block out direct sunlight, especially during the hottest part of the afternoon. Keeping curtains and drapes closed can help reduce the heat indoors by 33%.
- Feel the breeze. Use ceiling or other fans in addition to the air conditioner to help keep cool air circulating. Remember to set the ceiling fan’s blades to spin counterclockwise to create a cool breeze. Supplementing the air conditioner with a ceiling fan enables you to set the thermostat about 4 degrees higher without affecting your comfort.
- Clean out air conditioner filters. Well-maintained HVAC units are less likely to fail during months of hard use in the summer. Cleaning out ducts and changing air filters can keep your HVAC system running efficiently.
- Reduce hot water use. Take shorter showers and use bathroom exhaust fans to remove the heat and humidity. Make sure bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans are vented to the outside, not the attic, to keep the warm air out.
