LOUISVILLE, Ky. - (July 25, 2005) In the face of the continued heat wave across the Midwest, Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities are asking customers to voluntarily conserve energy.

KU and LG&E hit peak weekend records July 23-24 and are expected to reach an all-time peak usage today. Combined, the two utilities consumed 5,968 megawatts for the all time weekend high. LG&E customers consumed 2,461 MW for its own weekend record and KU 3,507 MW for the third highest usage on a weekend.

"We always request that customers think about using energy wisely, but this becomes even more important during high usage periods," said Chip Keeling, Vice President, Communications. "LG&E and KU employees are not only working hard to continue to provide the same safe and reliable service customers have come to expect, but they are also leading by example — company facilities across Kentucky have turned down the lights and have set the thermostats higher."

Due to high customer growth in Northeast Jefferson County the need for conservation in that area is particularly important.

As we told our customers on critical life support devices several weeks ago, it is important to maintain a back-up source of energy at all times. Industrial customers should take high temperatures into account when planning their production schedule.

Customers can help manage the demand by taking the following actions:

• Set your thermostat higher. For each additional degree you drop the thermostat below 78 degrees, your cooling bill goes up between 5 and 8 percent.
• Turn off all unnecessary lights. Use fluorescent lighting, which is cooler.
• Turn off all unnecessary appliances. Run your dishwashers, dryers and washing machines during the evening hours (after 7 p.m.) when energy consumption is usually lower.
• Close blinds and curtains to keep out sunlight and heat.
• Use ceiling fans to circulate the cool air. Fans can help you feel more comfortable at higher temperatures. Window fans, ceiling fans or whole-house fans use much less power and are an alternative to air conditioners.
• Don't close off rooms that are not being used or air registers in those rooms to limit air conditioning. Furniture or drapes should not block air registers.
• Cook outdoors on your grill; use a microwave oven or prepare cold meals to avoid heating up the kitchen and adding moisture to the air. Microwaves use less than half the power of a conventional oven and cook food in about one-fourth the time.
• Change your air filters if you have not done so in the last month. Dirty air filters make your air conditioning work harder. Clean the filter in window units as well. It is behind the front panel.
• The outdoor unit of an air conditioner should be kept free from plants, dirt or grass clippings that will interfere with air circulation. Wash the coil periodically with a garden hose.

LG&E Energy LLC, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a diversified energy services company. LG&E Energy owns and operates Louisville Gas and Electric Company, a regulated utility that serves 318,000 natural gas and 390,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties, and Kentucky Utilities Company, a regulated electric utility in Lexington, Ky., that serves 518,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia.