Photo: Library of Congress- Alfred Palmer
Duke officials say they've kept up with power demand, but could be getting more help from consumers.
Duke energy spokeswoman Angeline Protogere says her company doesn‘t publicly state when they are going to purchase energy from competitive markets, as that might raise costs that would have to be passed on to customers. Protogere says despite the high heat – and corresponding high demand – the utility has had no problems in keeping up with demand this summer. Still, she says there are some common misconceptions about activities which will keep buildings cool and keep electricity use in check, however.
“Sometimes people feel if it‘s a cooler evening that they can open their windows at night. But, if it‘s very humid out, your air conditioner will have to work that much harder to get that humidity out of the air the next day,” she said.
Shading windows can also greatly reduce the need for combatting solar heat in a home.
