Jackson EMC said it hit an electricity demand record over Christmas weekend as North Georgia dipped into frigid, single-digit temperatures.
The new record for electricity use was set Saturday, with an electrical demand of 1,525 megawatts. The previous record was set in July 2022 at 1,343 megawatts when the heat index reached 110 degrees.
"Our power distribution system performed well under this weekend’s higher-than-normal demand for electricity,” Jonathan Weaver, Jackson EMC’s director of system engineering said. “We plan for higher demand periods, and we experienced few issues with this new record."
The EMC said crews worked around the clock through the holiday weekend to restore power to more than 23,000 members who were impacted. Jackson EMC received assistance from 75 contract crew members and linemen from Hart EMC.
“Any piece of equipment may operate just fine under normal use but could have problems when stressed by high demand and could cause some of our equipment to malfunction. This same situation occurs in extremely cold weather as when the temperatures are extremely high,” Tommy Parker, managing director of operations, said. “That stress caused approximately 130 transformers to fail. They were replaced within 48 hours. We appreciate the hard work and long hours put in by our employees, the understanding of their families over the holiday, and the patience of our members as we worked to restore power.”
The EMC encourages members to take steps to reduce energy usage during the colder months, especially as space heating and water heating are the two biggest drivers of energy use in most households.
Tips to reduce electrical load include:
- Set your thermostat to 68 degrees. As a rule of thumb, your heating cost will increase 3% for each degree above 68 degrees.
- Only set your thermostat to “emergency heat” in the event the heat pump is not working. Since emergency heat costs nearly twice as much to operate, it should only be used in the case of a system failure while awaiting repairs.
- Check and/or replace air filters every 1–2 months. Dirty or clogged air filters restrict airflow and cause your compressor to work harder, increasing costs. Clean filters save 5-15% on your electric bill.
- Do full loads when you use clothes washers, dryers and dishwashers.
- Turn off or unplug unused appliances or lights.
For more tips, visit here.
