Extreme cold has resulted in school cancellations and many closing throughout Michigan. Consumers Energy sent a text alert Wednesday night asking their utility customers to lower thermostats to 65 or below through Friday. Governor Whitmer echoed that request in a special announcement made Wednesday night. The request came after a fire at the Ray Township Natural Gas Compressor Station in Macomb County Wednesday morning. The fire was extinguished within a few hours, and the company is working to supply enough gas from reserve storage areas in Wayne and St. Clair counties. DTE issued a statement requesting customers to help safeguard the reliability of the regional energy by reducing electricity usage during the cold spell adding several energy saving tips including:
- Dial down the thermostat several degrees in your home and wear additional layers of clothing.
- Minimize use of electrical appliances and equipment such as washers, dryers, ovens, dishwashers, and humidifiers.
- Turn off all unnecessary lights.
- Open curtains on south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat the home, and close them at night to reduce the chill from cold windows.
- Use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of window frames during the cold winter months. Make sure the plastic is sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration.
Semco says they always encourage customers to conserve energy whenever possible, because it does make a difference to dial back when the demand is high and stress is put on the system, but Semco is currently managing the load.
