Utility Companies Urge Customers

To ‘Wait ‘Til 8’

The Connecticut Light & Power Company and United Illuminating Company in cooperation with the Department of Public Utility Control have launched a statewide campaign to encourage all Connecticut residents to “Wait ‘til 8” to run major appliances that require large amounts of energy during the key summer months of June, July, and August.

For the second consecutive year, the electric companies are urging energy consumers to shift major electric appliance use until after 8 pm. The strategy should help the utilities ease the burden on Connecticut’s transmission grid during the peak demand period for electricity.

The summer months are typically heavy demand periods with air conditions and appliances working around the clock. Although ISO New England, the operator of the region’s bulk electric power grid, anticipates that the region electric supply will be adequate to meet expected electricity demand, it is still necessary to take additional steps to balance supply and demand to protect the state from potential service disruptions this summer.

According to ISO New England, Southwestern Connecticut uses 50 percent of all power consumed in the state and faces tight power supplies for the summer months. The area has limited generating capability and often experiences transmission constraints that can make if difficult to import all the power that is needed.

Conservation programs like “Wait ‘til 8” are funded by the “conservation charge” on customer bills. They are designed to help customers managed their energy usage and reduce their costs.