(KANSAS CITY, Kan.) — Along with the temperature, Kansas City Board of Public
Utilities (BPU) customers’ power and water demands promise to climb over the next
few days. The BPU is prepared to meet high energy and water demand, but small
changes in customer behavior to conserve can decrease stress on the grid and water
system.
The National Weather Service has issued warnings for excessive heat as temperatures
reach the triple digits.
With temperatures soaring this time of the year, both energy and water consumption
is expected to rise from increased use of air conditioning and other summertime
related activities. The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) wants to help
educate residents on ways to reduce their energy consumption and costs, minimize
their environmental footprint and, most important – stay cool and healthy.
During extreme heat conditions, customers should:
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol.
- Take precautions such as not wearing dark colors. Know the signs of heat illness.
- Never leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles. Act quickly if someone exhibits heat illness.
- Avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day, generally between
10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Customers who rely on electricity to support life-sustaining medical equipment
should have a backup plan. Life support status does not indicate or guarantee
that your power will be restored any faster. It is advised that you have a
contingency plan in place should an outage occur. We encourage you to seek a
backup power source or develop a plan for relocating until your power is
restored.
Hot and sticky weather can lead to more usage and higher electric bills. Customers can
save energy and money this summer by following 10 simple tips:
- 1. Don’t cool an empty house. Set your thermostat higher when you are away.
- 2. Seal holes and cracks around doors and windows with caulk or weather
stripping.
- 3. Replace air filters monthly. Dirty filters make your air conditioner work harder.
- 4. Use a microwave or crockpot instead of the oven. Better yet, grill outdoors.
- 5. Operate appliances in the morning or evening when it is cooler outside.
- 6. When washing dishes or clothes, run full loads.
- 7. Wash laundry in cold water.
- 8. Close blinds and draperies facing the sun to keep out the sun’s heat.
- 9. Don’t cool unused rooms. Close the vents and shut the door.
- 10. Ceiling fans cool fast and cost less than air conditioning. In hot weather, set
your ceiling fan to spin quickly, counterclockwise to push air downward toward
the floor.
Consider these tips to help conserve water outdoors.
Adjust your sprinklers so that they are watering your lawn and garden and not the
street or sidewalk.
Water early in the morning (before 10 a.m.) or later in the evening (after 6 p.m.)
when temperatures are cooler and evaporation is minimized.
Apply the amount of water your soil can absorb. Water thoroughly but infrequently. If
run-off puddling occurs, break longer watering sessions into several short sessions
allowing water to soak in the soil.
For more information, go to www.BPU.com