Madison Asks Residents To Curb Power Use Thursday Afternoon

MADISON, NJ — With temperatures peaking at 93 degrees Thursday afternoon, the Borough of Madison is asking residents to curtail their power usage between 3-6 p.m.

Reducing energy consumption this year will help keep down peak energy charges for next year, the Borough said on Facebook. "If we can all voluntarily curtail our electric consumption on the few peak hours this summer, we can save the Borough up to $100,000 or more next year," according to a Borough webpageexplaining the cost savings.

Three cooling stations will be open throughout the season for residents without air-conditioning.

Madison Public Library

• Monday - Wednesday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
• Thursday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Sunday: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. (until June 18th - Sept 3rd: Closed)

The Madison Civic Center

• Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Hartley Dodge Memorial Building

• Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Here are some tips for curtailing usage this afternoon, courtesy of The Borough of Madison:

• Set thermostats as high as comfort will allow. Every degree a customer can increase the temperature in their home will result in using about 3 percent less energy during the hottest summer days.
• During sunny weather, close drapes or blinds on windows facing the sun to prevent direct radiant heating from impacting interior temperatures.
• Use fans – moving air cools skin faster, resulting in greater comfort on hot days.
• Use a programmable thermostat to keep temperatures higher when no one is home, and to reduce the temperature before arrival back home.
• Only operate window air conditioners when someone is in the room.
• Keep refrigerators and freezers as full as possible. Frozen or cold items in the refrigerator help keep other items cool, reducing the amount of work the refrigerator has to do to maintain a lower temperature.
• Close rooms that aren't used regularly during the summer, and close the air conditioning vents in those rooms, as well.
• Avoid using heat-producing appliances during the hottest hours of the day. The less heat produced in the home, the less work the air conditioner will have to do.

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