ERCOT urges energy conservation

Though an ERCOT request to reduce electricity use through Friday has only served to raise the temperature of some Austinites given the widespread power failures just a few months ago, Austin Energy has some practical tips for conserving energy. The city utility advises that thermostats be set at 78 degrees this week, raising them to 85 degrees when you plan to be out of the house for two hours or more. The utility also recommends closing blinds, avoiding using the oven and doing laundry during the day, and using fans to cool the home. ERCOT has reported a “significant” number of (apparently mysterious) generator outages which, combined with high temperatures and the accompanying increased demand, could be a recipe for more outages. Visit Austin Energy to learn more conservation tips.