Dominion Meets Record Winter Peak
Electricity Demand
RICHMOND, Va. – Dominion (NYSE: D), one
of the nation's largest energy companies, met an unofficial record winter one-hour
peak demand Tuesday from its Virginia and North Carolina electricity customers.
As heating systems kicked in to ward off the
arctic cold, demand from the company’s 2.2 million electric customers
in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina reached an estimated 16,689 megawatts
from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Tuesday. The old mark of 16,448 megawatts was set just
one month ago, on Dec. 20, 2004. Further tabulations may adjust the final amount
of megawatts generated and consumed by customers.
The Dominion all-time record peak demand is 17,084
megawatts set July 29, 2002.
Dominion encourages its customers to use smart
energy practices to keep homes warm and heating systems working at peak efficiencies.
Heating costs can account for 25 percent to 50 percent of a home’s total
energy expense, so efficiency experts offer these tips to control heating costs:
Have a qualified heating contractor inspect and service
your system to ensure it is safe and working at peak efficiency.
If you have a forced-air heating system, clean or replace
the filter monthly and keep heat vents open and unobstructed by furniture.
Make sure that all ductwork is sealed at joints and intersections
with duct sealer or silicone caulk. Otherwise, supply ductwork can leak heated
air into the attic or crawl space, and outside air can be drawn into the return
ductwork, increasing costs and reducing comfort dramatically.
Set the thermostat at 68 degrees or the lowest temperature
you find comfortable. For every degree you lower the setting, you can see
a difference of up to 3 percent in energy costs. Setting it lower at night
will produce savings with gas and oil systems, but is not recommended for
heat pump systems unless you have a programmable thermostat specifically designed
for that system.
Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy,
with an energy portfolio of about 28,340 megawatts of generation. Dominion also
serves retail energy customers in eight states. For more information about Dominion,
visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.
