With extreme temperatures forecasted this week and the potential for little overnight relief, Glendale Water & Power (GWP) is urging residents and businesses to conserve energy to help prevent potential strain on the city’s electrical grid. Sustained high heat consistently leads to increased air conditioning use, which can overload power infrastructure and raises the risk of service interruptions. GWP is taking proactive steps to maintain grid reliability and asks customers to join the effort. The city will also activate cooling centers from Aug. 21-Aug. 24 at various locations, including Starr Heights Community Center, 1613 Glencoe Way in Glendale 91208. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the Center is closed on Sunday. For more locations, visit GlendaleCA.gov/BeatTheHeat.

“To avoid potential power outages during this period of excessive heat, we’re encouraging our customers to take simple yet impactful steps to conserve energy, while always keeping the health and safety of families and pets in mind,” said Scott Mellon, general manager of GWP. “Our crews are on standby and prepared to respond quickly to any service disruptions.”

Energy-Saving Tips to Reduce Power Use During Heatwaves;

Residential Customers:

• Charge electric vehicles in the early morning or after 9 p.m.

• Delay use of major appliances (electric ovens, clothes washers/dryers, dishwashers) until after 9 p.m. or early morning hours.

•Air dry dishes instead of using the dishwasher’s heat cycle.

•Set thermostats to 78°F when home and 80°F when away, keeping in mind to adjust based on the health and wellbeing of family and pets.

•Use ceiling fans instead of A/C when possible. Remember: fans cool people, not rooms.

•Close curtains and blinds during the day to block out direct sunlight.

•Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms.

•Use LED bulbs, which produce less heat and use less energy.

•Keep refrigerators full. A full fridge retains cold better and uses less energy.

•Unplug “energy vampires” including chargers, electronics, and anything with standby lights or digital displays.

Business Customers:

•Shift energy-intensive operations to early morning or evening hours.

•Keep doors closed to retain cool air and reduce indoor heat.

•Turn off unnecessary lighting and encourage employees to unplug chargers and turn off devices before leaving for the day or weekend.

City of Glendale Residents Who Want to Stay Informed and Prepared:

•Sign up for outage text alerts at GlendaleCA.gov/OutageTextAlerts.

•Monitor power status on GWP’s Live Outage Map at GlendaleWaterandPower.com.

•In the event of an outage:

◦Keep flashlights and batteries easily accessible.

◦Charge cellphones and mobile devices in advance of the hottest times of the day.

◦Avoid opening refrigerators/freezers to retain cold air.

◦Store extra drinking water and stay hydrated.

For emergencies, always call 9-1-1.

The County of Los Angeles is also issuing a heat warning and advisory. Visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=5116 for details.