CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Valley Authority says it broke the winter record for power generation Tuesday thanks to this week’s cold snap.
TVA says that its nine million customers in Tennessee and six neighboring states used 703 gigawatt-hours of electricity over a 24 hour period, two gigawatts more than the previous record set in January, 2010.
Power consumption is pushing TVA’s generating capacity to its limit and the utility is asking customers to conserve.
Middle Tennessee Electric’s Josh Clendenen says little changes can make a big difference in your power bill.
“If you have southern facing windows, open those blinds during the day to take advantage of the natural sunlight coming in. Then in the evenings close those up nice and tight. For those of our members that may have a gas or wood fireplace, make sure your dampers are closed. If they’re open it just becomes a funnel straight from the outside into your home.”
With a morning low in the single digits and an expected high in the mid-20s, TVA may well set additional power consumption records Friday.
For additional tips on how to save money on your energy bill, visit energyright.com