LG&E, KU Ask Customers to Actively Reduce Their Energy Consumption
08.23.2007


LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In the face of the continued heat wave across the Midwest, Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities are asking customers to actively reduce their energy consumption.

"As the heat wave continues and strains the region's electric system, we are asking customers to take steps to reduce their energy consumption today. This could include cycling on and off their air conditioning units, turning off unnecessary lights, and putting off using appliances such as dishwashers, washers and dryers until the evening hours," said Chip Keeling, Vice President of Communications, "LG&E and KU employees are not only working hard to continue to provide the same safe and reliable service customers to have come to expect, but they are also leading by example. Company facilities across Kentucky have turned down the lights and have set the thermostat higher."

The utilities recommend that customers take the following steps to reduce their energy consumption:

• Turn off air conditioners for 30-minute periods throughout the day.
• 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 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 air registers and do not close off rooms completely because it can increase system pressure and damage the compressor. 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.
• Check your air filters monthly - even on extended filters. Change if necessary. Dirty air filters make your air conditioner 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.

E.ON U.S., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a subsidiary of E.ON A.G., the world's largest investor-owned energy services provider. E.ON U.S. is a diversified energy services company that owns and operates Louisville Gas and Electric Company, a regulated utility that serves 324,000 natural gas and 398,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties, and Kentucky Utilities Company, a regulated electric utility in Lexington, Ky., that serves 531,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia.